§ 60. Major-General Sir ALFRED KNOXasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he proposes to take to check the re-export of Russian timber to the United Kingdom through Finland, in view of the fact that Finnish imports of Russian sawn soft wood in 1934 exceeded by over 100 per cent. those of 1932, and the repeated comments of the Finnish Press on the re-export of this timber to Great Britain?
§ Dr. BURGINI would refer to the reply I gave on the 4th February to the hon. Member for South Kensington (Sir W. Davison).
§ Sir A. KNOXIn view of the figures I have given, will not the hon. Gentleman reconsider his reply?
§ Dr. BURGINThis suggestion that Russian timber is improperly re-exported by Finland has been examined over and 1302 over again, and particular inquiries have been made, as the result of which I gave the answer to which I have referred.
Viscountess ASTORIs it not true that shipping has improved since we have had a better understanding with Russia?
§ Dr. BURGINThat is so.
§ 61. Sir A. KNOXasked the President of the Board of Trade why the Accounts for Trade and Navigation for 1934 issued by his Department show a total of 381,000 standards of timber shipped from Russia to the United Kingdom in 1934, whereas, in a letter of the 23rd January, 1934, the Canadian Government was informed that the maximum quantity of imported Russian timber would be 350,000 standards?
§ Dr. BURGINThe contract between the White Sea Timber Trust and Timber Distributors, Limited, for 1934 provided for the importation of a maximum quantity of 350,000 standards of sawn soft wood. I understand that this quantity was exceeded by 4,595 standards or slightly more than 1 per cent.; the remainder of the 381,000 standards shown in the Trade and Navigation Accounts as "Sawn soft timber other than planed or dressed," consists of miscellaneous timber not covered by the contract.