§ MR. C. E. PRICE (Edinburgh, Central)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the statement in the Consular Report from Austria-Hungary (3900) that the new tariff must be largely responsible for the general increase in prices, and which has made living in Austria dearer than ever; that this increase in prices is not confined to 164 imported articles, as the manufacturers in the country understand how to utilise the additional protection by raising prices to home consumers; whether he can state the average amount of ad valorem duties under the former tariff and under the new; and whether he can state if an increase in wages has been made corresponding with the increased cost of living.
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEI have seen the statement referred to. The Board of Trade have already published two Returns giving information with regard to the rates of the new Austria-Hungary Tariff'(Cd. 1672/03 and Cd. 2917/06), but it is not practicable to give the average ad valorem equivalent of the very varying rates of duty. As regards the question as to any recent increase of wages in Austria-Hungary I am having inquiries made.