25th August.
RECENT events in the industrial and commercial worlds have not been without some result on the generally too optimistic British public. What has been done in the military world by the war, has to a certain extent found its counterpart in the realms of the merchant and the manufacturer. In other words, Great Britain has begun to wake up to the true' position of affairs; not, be it noted, to any extent, so far, amongst the rank and file, but in the ranks of those to whom the rank and file have hitherto looked for guidance and have lately looked in vain. It is satisfactory to note that at any rate the obstacles to British trade are at last to receive expert attention. The Commercial Committee of the House of Commons, of which Mr, L. Sinclair, M.P., is the Hon, Sec., is pledged to go thoroughly into the matter. [twill take the widest possible outlook, get the most up-to-date information, study the latest developments, and examine into the difficulties that are put in the way of trade, not only by nature and our rivals, but by ourselves; and there is assort of feeling abroad that these last will be by no means the least, It is also intended to launch forth into legislation if it be found desirable; and as trade in times gone by has been not a little hindered by laws that meant well, it is hoped that the experience so gained may render any new efforts as useful as some of the old were detrimental. The committee has determined to make a continuous, systematic, and practical study of its subject: and from this we gather that we have at last a sort of Parliamentary Chamber of Commerce, which has long been wanted, and which, well-managed, should be of untold benefit to British trade. It expects to find not a few obsolete and prejudicial enactments still encumbering the British statute book to the detriment of the British merchant and the encouragement of his rivals. It is certain to discover, if discover is the word to be used for what is known to exist, much lack of, business-like methods, not in the Governmental departments only, but even amongst the ranks of industry themselves. When all this has been successfully accomplished, the Committee hopes by suitable legislation to give effect to the demands of present-day traders.
The programme is wide, difficult, and long. So protracted will its duties prove that, as we have hinted, the newly-constituted body may well be compared with Tennyson's brook, in that it must go on for ever, No success is to be expected unless there be forthcoming the most loyal support from Chambers of Commerce and other commercial and industrial bodies. Neither will the best results be achieved unless our diplomacy gets rid of the anti-commercial attitude, the high and mighty tone, which has all too frequently characterised it in the past. We have too recently written on the improvements requisite to bring our Consular service up to the high standard required, to make it desirable for us to refer at length to that important branch of our present subject. Suffice it to say, therefore, that it is with no little pleasure that we find our Board of Trade contemporary of one opinion with ourselves in that matter, Progress must necessarily be somewhat slow. British trade was not built up in a day, neither will it be destroyed maclay. The subjects into which the Committee will have to go are complicated and difficult. Recent Continental attempts to make tariff changes show that Customs duties are no longer the simple things they once were. Other nations have to be considered, conflicting interests to be arranged, So far us we are concerned, the Committee will have to examine carefully into the effect of high protective duties such as those of the United States and Germany, and upon the power of those countries to compete with us in foreign markets and it will have to determine how, if this protection is persisted in, the British producer is to meet such' one-sided competition. It will doubtless look carefully into the advantages nted to Continental shippers by ritish ships, and decide whether the game thus played is worth the candle, 'I'hen there are our delight~ ful patent laws to be examined, and probably condemned as pernicious and crushing taxes on the nation's rains, There are faulty factory acts and other efforts which the Mother of Parliaments has, with every desire to do the right thing, permitted herself to achieve, but which framed by inexpert hands have had: the common results of grandmotherly rather than motherly All these things, and many more, will in due course come before the newly-formed body for consideration. The time is opportune. Mr. Morgan has been in the land; so have the Colonial Premiers. Men of this stamp are nothing if not stimulating. Then the war is over, and the world's opinion of us has undergone a change within the last few months. The tenacity which carried a difficult and costly task through to a successful issue has not {been exhibited altogether in vain, neither has the ease
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.