COTTON POSITION

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1930, Page 2

COTTON POSITION

HIGH INDIAN TARIFF. DEPRESSING EFFECT ON LANCASHIRE. (Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 27. In tlie House of Commons, Sir Herbert Samuel (Lib.) raised the question of unemployment in the cotton industry. He observed that the trade depression in Lancashire was worse than it had been within the knowledge ol a whole generation. The cause of the parlous conditions of tlie industry at this moment was, he said, to lie found in the decline of exports in India. “We have lost half our trade under the shelter of the cotton tariff,” added Sir Samuel. The Indian production of cotton goods had increased while imports of Japanese cotton goods into India had grown enormously. The preference supposed to he given to British cotton as against Japanese was regarded in Britain as in no degree balancing the large duties on British cotton.

Mr W. Graham, president of the Board of Trade, admitted the gravity of iconditions in Lancashire. He said that the latest figures indicated that there were 154,000 people registered as out of work. A committee which had been apnointed to investigate the matter would shortly complete the taking of evidence and would prepare its report. As the result of representations, the Indian authorities had stated that while they could not modify their tariff of 15 per cent ad valorem, they would impose additional duty against foreign cotton goods, continued Mr Graham. Lancashire had been relieved to some extent by that announcement, but since then it had been indicated that an amendment would be accepted in India, which would take away that form of preference to British goods. Great as was .the difficulty, for Lancashire,, he did. not .think, that the Government cop Id make anv further representations, or .carry the appeal bevnnd the stage to which it had been carried.