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Hon. Colonial Secretary,
On December 5th, 1919, an addition was made to the
Importation and Exportation Ordinance Rules prohibiting the import of foreign dyes.
I have carefully controlled the import of dyes
other than British, endeavouring to make sure that none but
British dyes were used in the Colony and that all foreign dyes
were re-exported. But the control is practically useless because of the departmental ruling which allows imports of all goods from South China to come in without permits. Foreign dyes are exported to Canton and elsewhere and then brought in by junks without this department being aware of the import.
I could close this loophole, but not without a furious resistance from the Chinese. I question whether it is worth the possible dislocation to trade, seeing that the amount of dyes actually used locally is very small and the market thus thrown open to competition of foreign dye industries would not
exceed a value of £10,000 per year.
In addition, I notice consignments of dyes arriving from British Ports which bear all the appearance of foreign dyes. I understand it is a practice in the United Kingdon for e commission agent to order Dves from United States of America and Europe and re-export these to India and the East generally. If this is to be controlled, Certificates of Origin will be required in, if not, our prohibition is worthless. A consign-į ment from United Kingdom must be presumed to be British manufac- ture unless the contrary is shown.
India and Jamaice both prohibited foreign dyes presumably on the same request from the Imperial Government that we had, but India revoked the prohibition on 13th March, 1920, and Jamaica on 23rd August, 1920.
The dye merchants generally would appreciate the withdrawal of the prohibition, not for the market thrown open,
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