THE TARIFF COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13050, 15 December 1905, Page 5

THE TARIFF COMMISSION.

REPORT ON WOOLLEN INDUSTRY. ■•". . ian. -i PESSIMISTIC VIEWS OF WITNESSES. By Telegraph Press Association.— London, December 13, The Tariff Commission has published a summary of the evidence respecting the woollen industry, but sub-" mits no report. The witnesses are practically unanimous that the industry is deteriorating, and : that no branch of it is expanding. It is losing ground in both foreign and home markets, and hands are decreasing and tie value of mill property is. depreciating. .."V'. : ' •■'."'.' Some of the witnesses said that unless remedies were speedily suggested the decline which already had reached great dimensions must soon become marked. ~;.,,.,

The Tariff Commission was formed by the Tariff Reform League, with Mr. Chamberlain himself as president. It was appointed to make the investigations preliminary to the introduction of a new tariff, in the event of Mr. Chamberlain's preferential proposals being carried. 'Die first meeting was' held in 1904. It reported in July of last year on the iron and eteel trade, to the effect that the trade had declined relatively to that of other countries, and made recommendations in favour of duties up to 10 per cent. Thi» year, however, the iron and steel trade of the United Kingdom is booming, and a record output is expected. From' 1893 to 1903 inclusive the exports of woollen worsted yarn from Great Britain decreased from £4,532,000 to £4,198,000, while in the same period that of Germany increased from £1,895,000 to £3,589,000. From 1896 to 1903 inclusive France increased her exports from £1,244,000 to £1,359,000. Of woollen and worsted manuif actures from 1893 to 1903, Britain's exports fell from £16,404,000 to £15,864,000, and those of Germany increased from £10,895,000 to £14,073,000. Germany's gain in this case has been at the expense mostly of France, whose exports fell frocs £12,932,000 in 1895 to £8,735,000 in 1903. Britain's l osis has been mostly in the United States, from which her goods have been shut by the Dingley tariff of 1897.