5. Sir GEORGE HAMILTONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has examined the petition purporting to be sent by 176 British manufacturers and merchants, urging the repeal of the Wrapping-paper Duty; whether he can state how many of these 176 signatures represent actual British manufacturers of wrapping paper and how many merchants; and, in the latter case, can he state how many of these merchants deal chiefly in foreign-manufactured wrapping paper?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMOf the 176 signatories to this petition, 74 describe themselves as merchants, 36 as manufacturers of articles whose raw material is wrapping paper, 18 as both merchants and manufacturers, and 44 others as users of wrapping paper. None are described as manufacturers of wrapping paper. As regards the last part of the question I am not in a position to give the information desired.
§ Brigadier-General Sir HENRY CROFTHas the right hon. Gentleman received a petition from practically the whole of the workers engaged in the wrapping paper industry, begging him to continue the duty?
§ Mr. GRAHAMSo many petitions of all kinds reach me that I should like my hon. and gallant Friend to give me notice of the question. I have received numerous petitions, but, whether I have received a petition exactly of the kind suggested by the hon. and gallant Member, I cannot say without notice.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDoes this not show that piecemeal tariffs injure iudastry?
§ 11. Sir H. CROFTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any new mills have been started or old mills restarted; whether new machinery has been supplied in the wrapping paper industry since the duties were imposed; and whether the price of wrapping paper has increased or fallen in the same period?
§ Mr. GRAHAMI have received information to the effect stated in the first two parts of the question. As regards 2699 the third part of the question, the information would go to show that the price of wrapping paper has fallen in common,witch wholesale prices in general.
Sir G. HAMILTONMay I ask whether this does not satisfy the right hon. Gentleman that the duty is entirely in the interests of this trade?
§ Mr. GRAHAMTo reply to that on a supplementary would raise the whole controversy. I can only reply on the facts about which I have been asked.
§ Mr. MACQUISTENIs not this a simple sum in arithmetic?
§ Sir H. CROFTMay I ask whether it is not the fact that the actual price has fallen to such an extent that imported paper is even cheaper than before the duty was imposed?
§ Mr. GRAHAMI should like the hon. and gallant Member to put that question on the Order Paper. It is a point of detail.