PROTECTION IN FRANCE.

Southland Times, Issue 1021, 14 September 1868, Page 3

PROTECTION IN FRANCE.

\ The Protectionist party are decidedly { organizing a campaign/ as the French say, against the treaty of commerce with England ; this is, some Chambers of Commerce are trying to get up agitation j about it in the manfacturing towns, whilst Protectionist deputies are preparing to denounce in the Corps Legislatif the sufferings which they say it occasions to French industry. The Chamber of j Commerce of Roubaix has just published a correspondence it has had on the matter with the Minister of Commerce. The Minister, in reply to the complaints of the Chamber shows that, whereas iv 1862 the imports of the sorts of fabrics Roubaix produces (Alpacas, mixed cotton and wool, &c.,) was 30,000,000 francs, it fell to between 20,000,000 and 26,000,000 francs from 1863 to 1865, and in 1.866 was 29,000,000 francs ; but that, on the other hand, the export of Roubaix, which was 115,919,000 francs in 1861, rose to 212,172,000 francs in 1862, and was 161,440,000 francs in 1866. He adds that the apparent decline in the lastmentioned year, compared with 1866, was owing to a lowering in the value adopted by the Customs. He concludes, therefore, that the complaints of Roubaix are unfounded, and he advises the Chamber to abstain from agitation, lest it should come into opposition with the Chambei a of the towns that are favorable to the treaty. In refuting the Roubaix Chamber as he has done, the Minister, no doubt, does well ; but as a rule, it would perhaps be better to rely rather on the general advantage the treaty produces to France, than on its effect on any one trade in particular