28 MARCH 1908, Page 2

After dealing very ably with the question of unemployment, Lord

Cromer touched upon a point which his hitherto been very little noticed. 'What, he asked, would be the effect produced on the Lancashire cotton industry if a duty were imposed in this .country upon cotton manufactures entering the United Kingdom P "A strong, and, I think, perfectly justifiable, appeal would at once be made from India and Egypt to take off the Excise-duty now levied in those countries upon the" home-made manufactures. Would a measure of this sort be calculated to increase employment in Lancashire ? " "I do not know," added Lord Cromer, "whether the Tariff Reformers have ever considered this point." We agree with Lord Cromer that the matter is one of very real importance, and might cause friction between India and Britain of a "kind which it is eisential to avoid.