BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1929, Page 6

BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

BRITISH INDUSTRIES, (United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) ' LONDON, July 9. In the House of Commons, Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister (Conservative) said that the real hope of developing Britain’s exports was bound up with an expansion of trade within the Empire. Thirty tnousand additional people had been employed in the motor industry since the McKenna duties were imposed, while the employees in the silk trade had gone up from 28 to 30 thousand. Even the glove duty had led to seventeen hundred more being employed. Since the lace duty was imposed, the employment in that trade had increased by thirty-three per cent., the output by fortv-one per cent., and the wages paid by fifty-nine per cent. The British production of fine chemicals had doubled, and new motor-car tyre, factories and silk firms had been established since the duties were imposed.

NATIONALISATION URGED. ; LONDON, July 8. Speaking in the House of Commons, Miss Wilkinson stated that she was surprised to see that there now was so little reference made to the safeguarding duties in iron arid steel trades, which duties had been strongly advocated before the general election. There would be ait' inquiry iul-9 the condition of that industry wliifch would go further than the 'employers, desired it to go.' She pointed ont that' three-quarters of the blast furnaces inMiddlosborough Wore 25 y'ohrs old,-and yet they Were trying to compete with the French, Belgian, German and American works, which bad been reorganised within the past five years. It was like a push bicycle trying to race a motor-car. , Miss Wilkinson said' that it was not- tariffs, but a radical re-organisa-tion of industry, tnat was needed. The industry, she said, was ripe for nationalisation.

NO PROTECTIVE TARIFF. * 1 LONDON, Ji4 8. Speaking in the House of Commons, itt. Hon Tom Sliaw stated that the, Government would accept no fiirtliei applications for protective duties under me guise of what was known as the “Safeguarding White Paper” procedure. No duties under it would be renewed. The Ministry reserved the l-igilt to propose the remissioh or Qie revision of the existing duties in the interests of the country. That Was a plain, clear statem.iit of policy. Mr Shaw.added: “J should be delighted if, to-morrow, the Empire fell nto' agreement with us,’ and' let"us have free trade .within the Empire; but I fear that the idea of Australia and South Africa taking off their protective tariff is little better than a dream.” The debate was' Aid j mimed.

government attitude AGAINST imposing duty. - .LONDON.-July 8, Regarding the suggested wool; duties Ministerial critics consider that' f the Board-of Trade Committee’s, recomineiidhtion is- too vague, and unqualified to ustify action being taken on it. -.- • Leading industrialists express the opinion that the rejection of the recommendation for duties means a wage cut. Mr Sidney Ulingsworth, the Chairman of the Joint Safeguarding Committee of Employers and Operatives, ;aid : “Even fifteen per cent, of duty would not -be sufficiently', high.” Since nothing was replacing the safeguard-ing-duties, lie-said, the industry would .qiitimie. to suffer, and the workers •would continuedo be unemployed.- i ■ Mr Walter Andrews; former Presir (leiit Of the British Wool Federation, said: “Any duty lielow twenty-five per cent.’-would not rea’lly have been effective. They -should diet’called’--to i;ay .„!s.£Jv o)i,,Jree, trade .aji„altg.i,-.ii.a-.ive to lower wages.” Mr Arthur 'Shaw, 'Secretaiy 'of The National Association oh , Unions, was of, the opinion that'a .'fifteen . ler; the manufacturers to- : get;- within ■ measurible distance of the foreign competition. .; • '

A HOPEFUL POLICY. J OTTAWA, July 8. Closer co-operation embodying reciprocate relations, between Great Britain and Canada;-will be discussed during the week at tlre.Co-bperative Union of Canada Congress. ill- J. A. Wilkins, President of the Co-operative. Wholesale Bocjety of England, who isvliPl'e to atieiid' the'.-coii-gress, stressed ''tbeSadvisabiljty'of Canada adopting the co-operative system as practised in England and Scotland, Closer ree.ipro.cal trade between.’, the Mother Country and Canada, .he believed, would prove to the advantage of both. - . ... ..... v.