41. Mr. F. HALLasked what was the total value of the motor cars and 1616 their component parts imported into this country from the United States in 1912; if he can state what percentage of this sum approximately represents labour; and what was the total value of the motor cars exported from this country to the United States during the same period?
Mr. BUXTONThe total value of the imports of motor cars and parts from the United States of America in 1912 was £1,234,000, of which £763,000 represented complete cars, £56,000 chassis, and £415,000 other parts of motor cars. I cannot say how much of these sums represents the cost of labour, but according to the Bureau of the United States Census motor car builders in the States returned their wages bill in 1909 at about 20 per cent. of their output, in addition to which an appreciable part of the cost of materials used (whose value was rather more than half the value of the output) no doubt represents wages paid to persons engaged in the manufacture of such materials. The exports of motor cars and parts of United Kingdom manufacture to the United States in 1912 were valued at £88,000, and, in addition, imported motor cars and parts to the value of £37,000 were re-exported to the same destination.