JAPANESE TARIFF.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 878, 26 July 1910, Page 7

JAPANESE TARIFF.

BRITAIN FARES BADLY. STATEMENT EIY BARON KOIYIURA. CONCESSIONS MUST BE ' RECIPROCAL. By Telenraph—Press Association—Copy right. (Roc. July 25, 9.45 p.m.) London, July 25. Fresh details of tho Japanese, tariff, which comes into operation iu July, 1911, show that the average increase of the duties on British goods will bo 60'por cent., as compared with 50 per cent, in the case of all other countries. "The Times" says the- tariff is inspired simply by a desire to do what is best for Japan. Britain's exports to Japan consist mainly of things which tho Japanese are anxious to manufacture for themselves. H,enco tho tariff is very prejudicial to- the manufacturers of Lancashire, and Yorkshire. . Altogether it is estimated that tho tariff will exclude from three-quarters to a million pounds' worth of British goods per annum. Meanwhile Baron Komura, tho Japanese Minister'for Foreign Affairs, hasintimated that any, negotiations with foreign countries for the purpose of mitigating the effects of tho tariff must be based on the principle of Japan's negotiating on equal terms, and that concessions can only be given to any country in return for concessions, cf equal value. BRITAIN'S SUPREME ADVANTAGE. A FREE-TRADE VIEW. (Rec. July 25, 0.30 a.m.) London, July 25. The "Daily Chronicle" (Liberal Freetrade), referring to Baron Komura's recent statement that as Great Britain has what it called a Free-trade policy, there is no room for a tariff convention with her, considers that this was intended rather as a panegyric than j otherwise. Our supremo advantage as mauufac- I turers, says the "Chronicle," is that w« are able to buy materials freely, ana can, therefore, produce more cheaply than our rivals. This is an inestimable boon, and one'of the secrets of our supremacy. Must we, tho'"Chronicle" asks, because wo are not allowed to sell freely, buy freely? Our export trade is actually larger and more varied than ever before'. . - NEW DUTIES VIRTUALLY PRO- ' . HIBiTIVE. japan lias protested that in liei' • new tariff she was particularly careful to extend, every consideration to British manufacturers, but statements do not satisfy the manufacturers'; they point \a the tariff itself, which they assert is practically prohibitive as far as-many British products are concerned. Of all tho Far Eastern markets, the Japanese is the one whore margins are cut finest and conipetition is keenest. Tho "effect of" increasing the tariff under such circumstances to three, four, and more times the present height can only _be to ninko the tariff virtually prohibitive. As an instance, hitherto cloths have lwon subjected to a tariff based on square yardage, il'his is to be replaced by a complicated weight.rale of duties. Thus the present duty on army cloth, all wool, is 3 7-lGd. a yard of 54 inches wide. _ The proposed duty, when worked out, will bo from 13Jd. to 19d. a yard of the same width. Again, common' grey shirtings pay a duty of Bd. per 431 inches by 45 yards. Under the new tariff they will pay a duty of 20} to 213 d. Pure shirtings now pay a duty of 8 5-16<l. per 44 inches by 46 yards. In future they will pay a duty'of (Wd. (o 83d.,