The Week at Westminster
DURING the past week the House of Commons has been filling in time waiting for Mr. Chamberlain's recovery from an attack of gout, but has not been wasting time. It is indeed u good thing that the debate on the new import duties had to be postponed for a week, because it has allowed members to understand the Import Duties Act, which they themselves passed in a first fine careless rapture. The discovery that industries aggrieved by the rates of duty cannot carry their case by political agitation has been most salutary. More- over, the tribunal to which these industries must apply, namely, the Tariff Advisory Committee, have done good service by making it clear that they do not intend to listen to anyone except accredited representatives of the industry concerned. This decision should do more to make British industry alive to the need of proper organization than anything else. The final and more general discovery is that a tariff system is not all plain sailing, and that is perhaps the most salutary discovery of all. The result has been a notable diminution in lobby excitement, and the prospects of a smooth passage for the Budget have greatly improved. Agitation has died down not merely in respect of duties controlled by the Tariff Committee, but also in respect of the beer duty ; and there is no chance of a successful revolt against the Government's decision to maintain it. The best chance of securing a change in the Budget is possessed by the silk industry. The silk duties (Customs and Excise) are revenue duties, and therefore excluded from the Committee's consideration. But by abolishing the Abnormal Imports duties the Committee have in fact reduced the protection enjoyed by the silk industry from a 50 per cent. ad valorem duty to the difference between the Customs and Excise duties as imposed in 1925—ranging from 8 per cent. to 15 per cent. for different articles. Moreover, there is a duty of 28 per cent. on the raw material of the industry. There is quite a chance that matters may be brought into line with other similar industries by an addition to the
Finance Bill.
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