243

A.—s

Mr. DEAKIN : We have, of course, a good deal of what you may call casual or irregular dumping of cheap shiploads. Those Ido not dwell upon. The chief danger that we had to cope with lately was with regard to agricultural implements, which, from information received, were manufactured in the United States. We had reason to believe that these were being brought in with the intention of being sold under cost in order to cripple and destroy the local manufacture. We have dealt with that in a very drastic fashion by an Act which will enable us to cope with the great Trust that is understood to be behind this operation. That is the most conspicuous case recently. Mr. ASQUITH : Were not they let in free under your tariff \ Mr. DEAKIN : Not harvesters, strippers, and hinders to which I am referring now, and which were dealt with under a particular law passed last session. Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : What is the tariff on those ? Mr. DEAKIN : It was 12£ per cent, on the value, but now we have a fixed duty of 12/. each machine. Mr. ASQUITH : When did that happen I Mr. DEAKIN : Last year. Foreign manufacturers are able to attack our market by having behind them the security of their own market with free access to British markets, and by reason of the comparative lightness of the Australian tariff to invade Australian markets also. Glancing for a moment at another aspect, may I notice in passing, the extent to which foreign countries have prevented the natural increase of British trade. In the ten years 1895-1905 British exports to British possessions, including Australia, increased from 91 to 134 millions, while the exports of foreign countries increased from 51 to 103 millions. Taking goods, the produce and manufacture of Great Britain, the export of British possessions in 1905 was 113 millions, or only 10 millions in excess of the exports of its foreign competitors. Indeed, if India be omitted from consideration, the foreign imports into British Colonies exceed in value those of British origin. Now this great change has not been brought about by ordinary commercial methods. The gradual exclusion of Great Britain and her possessions from foreign markets is, of course, deliberate, intentional, and consistent. Not only do foreign countries, for the most part, reserve their home market to themselves, as far as it has been practicable and politic for them to do so, but by subsidies, bounties, and trade regulations, they stimulate their own exports, and materially restrict those of their rivals. I can only follow this part of the subject a short distance, but it is a very important part, though the means used are much more than fiscal. The point which cannot be overlooked, and must be kept constantly in mind, is that our trade is affected very largely, and will be injured in future by the aggressive policy adopted by foreign countries. Australia, as a producing nation, would be vastly benefited if could send its goods everywhere on fair terms; but our commercial rivals exclude us with impunity from great areas which do not produce naturally the goods which we could send them if these restrictions were removed. It is not possible, for example, to send anything to German Colonies, for not only does their Government subsidise its ships to carry produce cheaply (the sum of 350,000/. a year being spent in shipping bounties), but in German Colonies German goods are either exempt from customs duties entirely, or are taxed at

Eighth Day. 30 April 1907,

I'r.KKF.UENTIAL Trade.