§ Mr. JACOBSENasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that, owing to the restriction of the import of paper and paper-making materials, manufacturing stationers in this country are being obliged to refuse important Indian, Colonial, and foreign orders from want of the raw material for manufacture and are incurring risk of losing this trade permanently; whether he is aware that the loss to Great Britain of this manufacturing trade means no real saving in tonnage, as the countries named are still receiving supplies but from markets other than British; and if he can, always consistently with the national interest, allow the import of paper and paper-making materials in increased quantities, with proper and satisfactory guarantees that such extra imports will be used only for the export trade?
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Mr. HARCOURTI am aware that the restriction of the import of paper and paper-making materials must reduce the power of manufacturers and dealers to furnish supplies in this country and abroad. The proposal that additional importations should be allowed for the purposes of the export trade would, however, involve increased use of shipping, and in view of the urgent necessity of saving tonnage for more important purposes, I am not prepared to adopt it.