-5-
177
12.
Unfortunately, shortly after hearing this reassuring
statement, the Commission received a letter from a director
of the Rope Company who had just returned from Canada which
rovealed a very different attitude on the part of tho
From this lot tor XXXXX it is
Canadian authorities.
apparent that so far from having abandoned the imposition
of dumping dutics on Hong Kong ropes, the Canadian Govom-
ment has every intention of imposing a dumping duty cqual
to the difference between the solling price of Hong Kong
rope and a fluctuating market value based on the Jobber ́s
price of Manila Rope in England, as ascertained in Canada
from time to time. Moreover, it has been frankly stated
that the Customs authoritics are prepared to place every
possible obstacle in the way of importation of Hong Kong
rope; and in fact there seems to be no doubt that, in
spite of Hong Kong's inclusion in the Intermediate
Tariff
in 1933, the position is in no way different from what it
was in 1930.
13%
The situation is full of difficulties
unsatisfactory in the extreme.
and is
While we would never for
a moment question the propiety of any direct action taken by
the Canadian Government to safeguard their own industries
from competition based on native labour, yet at the same
time it appears to us that, when the competitor concerned
is also a member of the British Empire, it would be profer-
able if such action were to take the form of an open
declaration of inability to accord any preference or even of
an absolute refusal to admit their products.
140 We consider that such definite rofusal would at any
ratc clarify the situation and would prevent our manufact-
urors from wasting time in fruitless offorts to secure an
ontry to a market which it is not intended to open to their
With this end in view we recommend that the Government
wares.