A.—s

384

Mr. DEAKIN : That is good. I Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : I think so. Will you convince Dr. Jameson • that that is good enough ? The total of our exports of cotton manufactures— I am sorry to disturb Dr. Jameson by these figures—last year came to somewhere about 100 million pounds' worth. Now, unless 1 am mistaken, that is twice as much as the total of the cotton exports of all the protected countries in the world put together. If you are not satisfied with twice as much you are hard to please. Dr. JAMESON : I am quite satisfied with the size of the figures, and I am very glad they are large, and that there is so much margin for a very slow decline. Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : Germany has really increased very little in the course of 10 years. Mr. DEAKIN : So much the better. Mr. F. R. MOOR : What are the figures of the United States in that comparative statement ? Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : The United States has increased by 4,000,000/., we have increased by 20,000,000/. Just think of it. The United States of America has got thecotton in one field and the factory in the next. At least she could have it; there is no reason why she should not. We have on the other hand to carry our raw material thousands of miles across the sea, and still we beat them! If that is not a real triumph of British grit, skill and brains Mr. DEAKIN : Long may it reign Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : And a triumph of the free fiscal system, I do not know what it is. Mr. DEAKIN : That is an incubus. In spite of it you sometimes manage to increase. My memory was correct as to what I said about the building trade. Mr. Burns says : "At this moment we have, T am sorry '" to say?through reasons that T need not go into, a very large number of men " in the building trade who are slack of employment " Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : There is no doubt about that. Mr DEAKIN : "We also have, proportionately to the Colonies, more surplus unskilled labourers than any of the Colonies possess, and it does seem to me that if those men in the building trades, who are a type of men that many of the Colonies pre-eminently want in opening up new countries, were more closely informed as to the colonial requirements of labour, we should see a very considerable number of the men of the building and similar trades, seeking work in Colonies where their work would, perhaps, be for the moment better, and perhaps ultimately more regular than it now." Mr T T OYD GEORGE : Somebody said something about shippingSir James Mackay, T think. The net tonnage of shipping belonging to

Eleventh Day. 6JMayll9o7.

Preferential £1 Trade, i >