42

COMMERCIAL  INTELLIGENCE  COMMITTEE  :

Tariff
No.

Classification  of  Articles.

Existing  Rates
of  Duty.

Increase.

Kron.

Kron.  j

636  Candles  other  than  of  tallow  or  of  wax
637  (a)  Soap,  common  -

100  kgs.  21‘43
,,  5  95

100  kgs,  28-00  3L
„  12-00  102

638  Wax  candles,  tapers,  matches,  night-lights,  &amp;c.

645  Ammunition  for  guns  and  rifles;  blasting
materials  made  of  tLe  components  of  gunpowder. ­


145-00  16

*  Matches.

f  Candles,  tapers.

X  Night-lights.

6.  The  foregoing  statements  are  by  no  means  intended  to  be  taken  as
exhaustive.  They  merely  give  particulars  in  regard  to  the  principal  items  in
respect  of  which  complaint  has  been  made.  The  appended  “  Summary  of
Replies,"  and  the  translations  of  the  tariffs  as  issued  by  the  Board  of  Trade
should  be  referred  to  for  complete  details.
7.  We  have,  further,  to  direct  attention  to  certain  observations,  made  by
some  of  the  bodies  we  have  consulted,  which  relate  rather  to  the  classification
of  goods  under  the  tariffs  than  to  the  tariff  rates  of  duty.  For  example,
as  regards  the  Russian  tariff,  the  Bradford  Chamber  of  Commerce  suggest
that  what  is  meant  by  “wool  waste  "  (section  181)  should  be  more  clearly
defined,  difficulties  having  already  been  experienced  in  this  connection
under  the  existing  tariff.  The  London  Chamber  suggest  that  a  clause  should
be  inserted  in  section  199,  providing  for  the  admission  of  woollen  tissues
containing  less  than  10  per  cent,  of  silk  at  the  same  rate  as  tissues  of  pure
wool,  “  a  small  proportion  of  silk  threads  being  often  thrown  in  woollen
“  tissues  for  the  sake  of  effect."  The  Manchester  Chamber  point  out  that
“  bookbinders’  cloth  "  is  not  at  present  separately  mentioned  in  the  tariff,  the
implication  being  that  in  their  opinion  a  separate  heading  should  be  raised  for
this  article  with  a  moderate  rate  of  duty.  A  further  suggestion  from  this
Chamber  is  that  Pneumatic  and  Spring  Power  Hammers  should  be  expressly
included  under  the  heading  No.  167  (a)  as  steam  hammers  are,  in  order  to
prevent  their  being  classed  as  metal  working  machines  under  No.  167  (c).
The  Middlesborough  Chamber  specially  urge  that  an  effort  should  be  made
to  get  the  existing  duty  on  pig  iron  reduced  (it  is  not  proposed  to  be
increased)  on  the  ground  that  a  good  deal  more  is  paid  in  duty  than  the
value  of  the  iron  at  the  place  of  export  here.
As  regards  the  Austro-Hungarian  tariff,  the  Bradford  Chamber  urge  that
there  should  be  a  clear  definition  as  to  what  is  intended  to  be  covered  by  the
terms  “  carded  yarn"  and  “  spun  yarn  resembling  carded  yarn  "in  section  226,
it  being  anticipated  that  these  terms  will  give  rise  to  endless  difficulties  if
unexplained.  The  London  Chamber  make  the  same  suggestion  in  respect  of
woollens  containing  less  than  10  per  cent,  of  silk  as  that  referred  to  above,
adding  that  “  under  the  existing  tariff  woollen  tissues  containing  a  mixture
‘‘  of  silk  are  assessed  at  a  rate  entirely  out  of  proportion  to  the  value  of  the
“  cloth,"  and  pointing  out  that  it  is  proposed  to  increase  this  duty.
8.  We  have  to  add  that  the  India  and  Colonial  Offices  have  been
communicated  with  in  order  to  obtain,  if  possible,  the  views  of  the  Indian
and  Colonial  Governments  with  regard  to  the  tariffs  under  consideration.
The  matter  has  been  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  Indian  Government,  but
up  to  the  present  no  reply  has  been  received.  As  regards  the  Colonies,
replies  have  come  to  hand  from  Malta,  Cyprus,  Natal,  and  the  Transvaal!
These  disclose  that  the  only  colonial  interest  affected,  so  far  as  these  particular
colonies  are  concerned,  is  that  of  Cyprus,  which  is  interested  in  the  proposed
increase  in  the  Austro-Hungarian  rate  of  duty  on  raisins  (Tariff  No.  10)  from
about  12s.  to  about  21s.  per  cwt.  The  Governor  states  that  this  increase,  if
adopted,  will  seriously  injure  the  growing  trade  of  the  island  in  this
commodity,  the  bulk  of  Cyprus  raisins  being  now  exported  to  the  Austrian
market.  He  urges  that  the  matter  is  one  of  great  importance  to  Cyprus,  and