§ 32. Mr. ARTHUR MICHAEL SAMUELasked the President of the Board of 1188 Trade whether, seeing that during recent months there has been a decline in the importation of unsawn mahogany logs and an increase in the importation from the United States of sawn mahogany planks and boards, he will say what steps he has taken to encourage the importation of mahogany unsawn logs to be sawn here for use and re-export instead of importing from the United States sawn mahogany planks and boards which have been imported into the United States as logs, then sawn and re-exported to us?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. William Graham)An examination of the details of imports of hewn mahogany and of sawn mahogany month by month during the last three years does not appear to me to bear out the statement that sawn timber has been increasing at the expense of hewn.
§ Mr. SAMUELMay I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman means that the reply refers to the imports from the United States?
§ Mr. GRAHAMI think it does, but I will undertake to send the hon. Member the actual statistics which he will observe bear out exactly the reply that I have given.
§ Mr. SAMUELI am much obliged to the right hon Gentleman, but will he allow the question to be examined by the Timber Committee of the Imperial Institute?
§ Mr. GRAHAMI cannot pledge myself as to the exact form of the inquiry, but I will consider the hon. Member's suggestion.