§ 14. Sir W. Smithersasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that the largest selling wool dress cloth comes in class 210A and is now sold 54 inches wide for three coupons a yard, and that, owing to in creases in costs and wages, manufacturers cannot continue this cloth at the price, which entails it going into four and a half coupons per yard, he will raise the specification for this cloth from 210A to 210B, for three coupons.
§ Mr. BelcherThe hon. Member is misinformed. The utility wool dress cloth of Specification No. 210A is not the largest selling of the utility wool dress cloths, forming less than 20 per cent, of the total output. Moreover, production of cloth No. 210A, far from decreasing, is in the current period some 140 per cent, in excess of production in the corresponding period a year ago. There is, therefore, no reason to make any change in the coupon arrangements.
§ Sir W. SmithersIs the hon. Gentleman aware that if this concession is not granted the public will pay four and a half coupons a yard for exactly the same cloth for which they have to give three coupons a yard, thus reducing the already meagre coupon allowance?
§ Mr. BelcherNo, Sir.
§ Sir W. SmithersThe hon. Gentleman does not know his job.