§ 43. Mr. HANNONasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if he has been provided with a recent Report on the output of steel in Germany during the past year; whether the actual production is equal to the best record of the pre-War period; and if he can furnish information on the extent to which technical improvements and the higher productive capacity of labour have contributed to this result?
§ Mr. GILLETTThe published official figures show an output for 1929 of 16,246,000 metric tons as compared with 17,147,000 metric tons for 1913 which was the year of greatest pre-War output within the former territorial limits. If the comparison, however, were confined to the territories within the present boundaries of Germany, it would be true that the pre-War production had been exceeded. My information shows that great technical progress has been made in recent years; but I am unable to measure the effect of the individual factors which have influenced the growth of the industry.
§ Mr. HANNONHas not the fiscal system of Germany been an important contributory factor in this connection?