§ MR. MOOREI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that, owing to the importation of foreign work in the last few years from Japan, Germany, and Switzerland, Irish cottage industries, such as crochet and embroidery, are being steadily ruined; and what action, if any, he proposes to take.
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGENo doubt the industries referred to have, in common with many others, been detrimentally affected of late years by the competition of machine-made products, but I am not aware that such competition has been exclusively or even mainly from 1132 foreign countries. I have no power to interfere with the increasing use of more effective machinery in manufacturing processes.
§ MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the harm is done by the fact that machine-made goods are sold as hand-made?
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEIf anything of that kind occurred the sellers would be liable to prosecution, I think.