§ 34. Sir HERBERT SAMUELasked the President of the Board of Trade whether His Majesty's Government have made, or are proposing to make, any representations to His Majesty's Government in Canada with a view to securing that advantages proposed to be extended to certain trades of the United Kingdom under the new Canadian tariff should be extended also to the cotton trade?
§ 37. Captain PETER MACDONALDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received particulars of the proposed changes in the Canadian tariff; and, if so, whether he will say to what extent, and in what way, they affect imports from Great Britain and other parts of the Empire?
§ 39. Major COLVILLEasked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been drawn to the decision of the Canadian Government to make extensive improvements in the preferences granted to British goods; and whether any request for reciprocal action on the part of His Majesty's Government has been received?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMHis Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have learned with great interest of the tariff 1614 changes recently introduced by His Majesty's Government in Canada. These changes were proposed without any request for reciprocal action on the part of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom who would not feel themselves in a position to make representations in favour of increased preference for cotton goods as suggested by the right hon. Member for Darwen (Sir H. Samuel).
The right hon. Member is, however, of course aware that special representations in regard to the proportion of the value of the labour or materials of Empire origin required to enable British cotton goods to qualify for preference have already been addressed to the Dominion Government.
Some preliminary information in regard to the nature of the tariff changes has been published in the Board of Trade Journal of 8th May, but full particulars are not yet available. It is, however, clear that the new rates, most of which are already in force, represent important decreases of rate under the British preferential tariff on a large range of goods and an increased measure of preference. This tariff is accorded to goods the produce and manufacture of the United Kingdom, and of most, though not the whole, of the British Empire, but so far as I can judge from the information at present available the reductions of duty mainly concern goods which are not imported to any great extent from Empire countries other than the United Kingdom.
§ Brigadier - General Sir HENRY CROFTWill the right hon. Gentleman give his special attention to the question addressed to him by the right hon. Member for Darwen (Sir H. Samuel) in view of the fact that hitherto the right hon. Gentleman has been opposed to arty policy of preference?
§ Mr. GRAHAMI give the greatest attention to all questions.
§ Major COLVILLEWill the right hon. Gentleman reply to the last part of Question No. 39 with regard to reciprocal action? Is it not the case that the action which the Government have taken in regard to the tariff truce ties their hands?
§ Mr. GRAHAMNo, I do not take that view.