:  :  ;  .  ;  o  REPORT.  J'ïff-  »,  ¡  ï

upon  these  alleged  proposals,  and  the  assistance  of  the  Association  of  Chambers
of  Commerce  was  also  invited.  Ultimately,  a  preliminary  report  founded  on
the  recommendations  of  the  Committee  was  communicated  through  the
Foreign  Office  to  His  Majesty’s  Ambassador  at  Berlin,  and  the  Committee
understand  that  the  substance  of  it  was  brought  under  the  notice  of  the
Herman  Government.  On  the  actual  publication  of  the  official  version  of
the  new  tariff  it  was  decided  to  invite  the  views  of  the  leading  Chambers  of
Commerce  as  to  its  probable  effect  on  the  manufacturing  and  trading  interests
of  their  respective  districts  if  enacted  in  the  form  in  which  it  had  been  issued.
A  summary  of  the  replies  of  the  Chambers  and  a  report  giving  prominence  to
the  main  features  brought  out  by  this  summary  were  duly  prepared,  and  the
substance  of  the  report  was  communicated  to  the  Herman  Government  through
the  usual  official  channels.  A  copy  of  the  report  is  annexed  (Appendix  D.).
New  Russian  and  proposed  new  Austro-Hungarian  Tariffs.
More  recently  the  Committee  have  been  called  upon  to  consider  the  new
Russian  and  the  proposed  new  Austro-Hungarian  tariffs,  these  having  been
referred  to  the  Committee  for  consideration  at  a  meeting  on  the  17th  June
1903.  In  these  cases  also  the  procedure  of  inquiry  and  report  by  a  Sub-Committee
  of  members  representing  commercial  interests  was  again  adopted.
Inquiries  were  made  by  the  Sub-Committee  among  the  Chambers  of  Commerce
and  a  number  of  other  representative  commercial  bodies,  and  the  India  and
Colonial  Offices  were  communicated  with  in  order  to  elicit  the  opinions  of  the
Indian  and  Colonial  Governments  upon  the  same  subjects.  The  replies
received  were  summarised  as  in  the  case  of  the  Herman  tariff,  and  after
these  had  been  duly  considered  a  report  was  framed  for  presentation  to  the
Board  of  Trade.  This  has  now  been  communicated  to  the  Foreign  Office,
with  a  view  to  its  recommendations  being  brought  before  the  Russian  and
Austro  -  Hungarian  Governments.  A  copy  of  the  report  is  annexed
(Appendix  E.).
Grant  to  Society  of  Comparative  Legislation.
One  more  matter  remains  to  be  mentioned.  A  communication  from  the
Society  of  Comparative  Legislation  was  laid  before  the  Committee  at  a
meeting  on  the  17th  June  1903,  applying  for  some  financial  assistance  from
the  Committee’s  funds  on  the  ground  that  its  work,  which  was  being  carried
on  without  monetary  aid  from  any  quarter  and  as  a  self-imposed  task,  would,
as  regards  commercial  legislation,  be  of  use  and  value  to  the  Committee.
After  consideration  of  the  matter,  the  Committee  intimated  that  they  would
be  prepared  to  grant  a  sum  of  100Z.  towards  the  Society’s  funds  on  the
understanding  that  the  Society  should  take  up,  in  connection  with  its  work  of
examining  the  legislation  of  various  countries  and  publishing  summaries
thereof,  subjects  of  a  nature  in  which  the  Committee  is  interested^and  furnish
copies  of  its  publications  for  their  use.  The  conditions  were  agreed  to  and
the  grant  was  accordingly  made.  At  the  request  of  the  Society  the  Board
of  Trade  have  nominated  Mr.  H.  Llewellyn  Smith,  C.B.,  the  Comptroller-General
  of  the  Commercial,  Labour,  and  Statistical  Department  of  the  Board,
and  Deputy  Chairman  of  the  Committee,  a  member  of  the  Council  of  the
Society.

Conclusion.
In  conclusion,  the  Committee  trust  that  they  have  done  some  useful  work
in  the  interest  of  the  Board  of  Trade  and  of  the  commercial  public,  and  that
the  funds  which  have  been  placed  at  their  disposal  have  been  administered  to
advantage.  Their  term  of  office  ends  on  March  31st,  1905,  but  they  cannot
help  thinking  that  the  assistance  which  such  a  Committee  may  be  able  to
render  to  the  Board  of  Trade  in  the  event  of  its  being  reappointed  may  become
more  and  more  valuable  in  view  of  the  complexities  of  the  position  in  regard
to  impending  changes  in  foreign  tariffs,  the  fluctuations  of  our  foreign  trade,
and  the  exigencies  of  competition,  especially  if,  as  they  hope,  the  annual  grant
at  their  disposal  is  renewed  and  substantially  increased.
B  2