512
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
T །། T;། །
السا
Reference :-
CO.885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- | COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
186
and the word commerce became a misnomer. Malta is such a small place that there is no room for two societies for the promotion of commerce, so that all the gentlemen that we have consulted concur with us that that denomination should be dropped. Our information is to the effect that the work of this society has for some years past been limited to the granting of medals and diplomas, not only to some manufacturers and artisans, but also to amateurs, not for the promotion of industries, but more as a recognition of individual effort. At one time the Govern- ment appointed four officials to serve on the committee of that society, but as for many years such gentlemen did not serve on the committee, the appointments were discontinued.
82. Industrial Board. We therefore feel it our duty to recommend the appointment of an Industrial Board to advise the Government in all matters con- nected with local industries, such Board to be composed of two members appointed by the Chamber of Commerce, one from the Society of Arts and Manufactures, and two gentlemen appointed by the Government. This Board will submit measures to the Government to promote industries, to certify that the conditions hereinafter stated for the granting of temporary concessions have been complied with, and will be entrusted with such grants as are in this report recommended in connexion with some special industries. We are encouraged to recommend the formation of a Board by our own experience while serving on the present com- mittee. At the outset we received very scanty help from outsiders, but in course of time such help was readily given, and, believing that the committee was prac- tically an Industrial Board, manufacturers willingly gave us information and 'showed us schemes for the development of existing, and the introduction of new, industries. A gentleman from the Malay States wrote to our Secretary making practical suggestions for the manufacture of Malta cloth, which would find a ready sale in the Malay States. Even artisans, especially in the jewellery branch, called on your committee to complain of the disabilities under which they claimed to labour.
83. Encouragement of Industries.--Encouragement of industries should receive the earnest consideration of the Government. It is impossible to definitely state what shape such encouragement should take, as it would mainly depend on The duty of advising the the particular circumstances of each individual case. Government in each instance must devolve on the Industrial Board.
Several examples might be given when a little Government encouragement would have saved useless expenditure and trouble, and would have materially helped the establishment of industries. An illustration will be found in the following custom of the Government, viz., whenever an offer is submitted for the lease or purchase of a particular site on which buildings for an industry might be erected applicant is called upon to give specifications and details, and when same have been submitted, the site is put up to public tenders instead of being given on fair conditions to the original applicant; the Government thus takes advantage of his initiative, and minimises the chances of the establishment of an industry by exposing the idea, the protection of which is one of the main attributes to the initial success of any undertaking. No doubt this system is due to a desire on the part of the Government that the public may not think that preference is being given to any one individual. The institution of an Industrial Board would relieve the Government of any responsibility in such cases. Again, in another direction, a manufactory of soap was established, but the industry could not compete with the foreign article because the Government refused to allow oil, which is the prin- cipal raw material in the manufacture of that article, to be imported free of duty under due precautions and safeguards that it should be used for the manufacture of soap only; the manufactured article was not at the time subject to an import duty.
84. Temporary Concessions.-Temporary local monopolies or concessions for new industries should be granted.
85. We fully understand that the word, "monopoly" is usually understood as a privilege to one person or to a class of persons to the detriment of the consumers. The temporary concessions that we recommend the Government to grant would not act to the detriment of the consumer, as the imported article would always control the sale price of that produced locally. All we recommend is that anyone intro- ducing a new industry should be given a chance of recouping the initial expense necessarily incurred for the introduction of such industry. Malta, being a smal}
137
place, there is no room for a multitude of industries of the same kind, and we con- sider that the individual who originally has the courage to initiate an industry should be protected for a certain period in order to be given a chance of recouping the initial outlay. Any enterprise in Malta is in the nature of an experiment, and if it gives any prospect of success would at once find many imitators, who would ruin the individual enterprise and the new industry itself.
86. At the present moment the Government is granting such concessions, but the machinery is cumbersome. The rule is that an ordinance should be passed by the local Council. We recommend that such concessions should be made on the recommendations of the Industrial Board by the Governor in Council. It would be the duty of the Industrial Board to verify whether applicant is or not materially and financially in a position to carry out his proposal, and to state the period for which the concession should be granted. The Board would also fix the period within which the work must be commenced and completed, and, in default, have power to cancel the concession. The necessary regulations to be observed by applicants for such concessions should be framed by the Board. We recommend that Your Excellency should impress on the Secretary of State for the Colonies that, while similar concessions may not be advisable in England, they are practically a neces- sity in a small place like Malta, and would be a healthy stimulant towards the creation of new industries.
87. Existing Industries. The principal industries are:-
Milling. We consider that this industry should receive every encouragement owing to its importance, and to the services that it can render, especially in times of war. This industry might be helped by adopting the following recommendations: The present old system of measuring for purposes of taxation should be sub- stituted by weighing. The 10s. per salm to be 10s. for an established equivalent avoirdupois. The advantages resulting from such a change would be:-
A saving of unnecessary work.
ii. Placing the wheat importers in the position of being able to adopt auto- matic weighing machines and elevators, thus obtaining a substantial reduction in working expenses, reckoned to be as much as 10d. per salm.
iii. Saving of time, and consequent saving in freight, as steamers could be
discharged much more rapidly.
88. It is generally accepted that a salm of hard wheat is equivalent on an average to two hundred and eighty-four rotoli, while a salm of soft wheat is, on an average, equivalent to two hundred and seventy-eight rotoli.
One average standard weight should be adopted for all kinds of wheat. We recommend that, in order to avoid the risk of any loss to revenue, a committee of experts be appointed to fix such standard weight, and that the committee be instructed to bear in mind that, as soft wheat yields a lower percentage in flour than hard wheat yields in semolina and flour, the millers would have to import a larger quantity of soft wheat to obtain the same quantity of flour which they get from hard wheat, and such committee should keep in sight the advantages that accrue to the local industry by the importation of hard wheat weighing two hundred and eighty-four rotoli to the salm, an advantage which we would much regret to see in any way curtailed.
89. Local millers complain that they have to pay duty on bags imported for their trade, whereas imported flour pays a duty on the net weight, the bags being free; we recommend that this anomaly be removed by reckoning the duty on imported flour on the gross weight.
90. Lace. The importance of this industry is demonstrated by the following figures, which refer to exports only for the two years previous to the War for which Customs statistics are available:-1912-13, £26.238; 1913-14. £26,914.
These figures do not represent anything like the extent of the export trade, as it is a well-known fact that large quantities of lace are sent abroad for which no statutory declaration is made either at the Custom House or at the Post Office.
91. Lace may be considered the principal industry of Gozo, being the means of subsistence of a large number of people. The lace industry for which these islands are famous was suffering enormously before the War from unfair competi- tion of machine-made lace, chiefly from Germany, which is put upon the market at prices lower than are possible for finger-made lace, also for lack of outlets, besides, of course, the decline in demand from which all articles of like nature must suffer Occasionally as a result of change of fashion. During the War this industry again