§ 15. Mr. JOWETTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider the desirability of placing the processes of manufacture of wool textile goods under the control of the Government, in order to concentrate the combined 1492 capacity of combing, spinning, and weaving machinery on the production of the greatest possible quantity of plain serviceable wearing material, composed, so far as existing machinery can be suitably adapted, of thick yarn to facilitate rapid production for the prompt supply, first of Government requirements, and secondly the needs of the general public, and with the further object of preventing waste of time and energy, which cannot now be spared, in catering for the caprices of fashionable persons, for whose service a relatively disproportionate part of machinery for the manufacture of textile goods and the time and energy of working people is devoted in times of peace; and if he will also enter into negotiations, through the Colonial Office if necessary, with the Governments of British Colonies from which wool is imported into this country, with the intention of taking wool at a fair price in order to stop the artificial forcing upwards of prices, which has been going on ever since the commencement of the War, chiefly at the expense of the Government?
Mr. ROBERTSONAs at present advised, I do not think it necessary to take the drastic steps proposed by my hon. Friend.