THE BRITISH METALS BILL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 116, 2 February 1918, Page 9

THE BRITISH METALS BILL

READ A SECOND TIME IN THE. LORDS. London, January 31. The Non-Ferrous Metals Bill has passed the second reading in the House of Lords—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

Sir Albert Stanley, the President of the Board of Trade, when moving the second reading of the Non-Ferrous Metal Industry Bill in the House of Commons, explained that its objec" was to eliminate enemy influence from, the, control in this country ;of such metals and ores as zinc, copper, tin, lead, nickel, and aluminium. At the outbreak of the war none of us, lie said, realised how dependent we had been on sources of spelter directly or indirectly controlled by the Germans. Tho world's metal market was then largely controlled by. a group of German companies, headed by the Metallgesellschaft of Frankfurt. As a result we suffered great embarrassment at the outset of tho war. Frankfurt was be coming the centre of the world's metal market, the German.hold on spelter was so commanding that the Germans could actually restrict the output of spelter in England. "Undoubtedly," said Sir Albert' Stanley, /'the German aim was a complete and unfettered control of all these metals throughout tho whole world. A committee was appointed by my predecessor, and I .added to it representatives of Canada, Australia, and South Africa. Their reports are necessarily confidential, but I may quote one of their findings: 'So elaborate is the existing network of organisation, so devious theii efforts, so tiglit their hold over tho markets of the world, and so powerful their resources that the essential preliminary condition is to secure that, for at all events a period of years after the war, all German interests, direct and indirect, shall be eliminated from any undertaking allowed to do business in this country.' This is a problem which will liot wait until after the war for its solution. The great German combine will make every effort to resume its former hold. We must be prepared; to bo too iate would be nothing less than ■ a national calamity. We must free ourselves from the stranglehold which Germany had upon us." Tho Bill would endure for five years after the war. Its provision that licences to deal with metals would bo subject to annual revision might receive careful consideration at a later (Hear; hear.) It was not intended completely to bar naturalised subjects of enemy birth, but to retain tho right of careful scrutiny before licenses were grantyd. The powers conferred on the Government by this Bill would be a distinct step towards scouring economic freedom. Dr. Addison, the Minister for Reconstruction, said: —"We suffered in the early days of this war from a shortage of munitions mainly because of this metal monopoly, and we sacrificed tho lives of scores of thousands of our .111,011 because of if;.",,. . i