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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

TUTTI

Reference :-

885/25

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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iv. The same proceeding should apply to the orders of distribution of assets and discharge of the bankrupt.

124. Trade Debts.-We recommend that the law be amended so that commer- cial creditors should have a preferential claim on the stock-in-trade of the debtor, a claim which does not at present exist.

125. Registration of Business Firms and Names.-Ordinance No. XIII. of 1857 obliges local firms to register the names of the partners. There is no law for the registration of foreign firms having branches in Malta, nor for the regis- tration of business names. We recommend that the law be amended and that all firms trading in Malta and all business names be subject to registration. Such registration should be under the control of the Chamber of Commerce, the secretary whereof to be the registrar. It would be advantageous if the registration could be made compulsory even for merchants who trade under their own name.

126. Sworn Brokers.-Unfortunately the number of sworn brokers, who used to form a very respectable class of the mercantile community, has greatly dwindled down. This is due to the circumstance that while sworn brokers are by law subjected to certain restrictions and to a certain surveillance, a new class of unsworn We recommend that brokers has sprung up not subject to any sort of control. what has been adopted in other countries be adopted in Malta, and that no unsworn broker should act as broker, or at least that he should not be entitled at law to receive a remuneration.

127. Commission Agents. We recommend that no commission agent be allowed to practice in Malta without a licence issued by the Government on the recommendation of the Chamber of Commerce.

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128. Readjustment of Taxation. The question of a general readjustment of taxation can only be satisfactorily dealt with after the War and after the proposals of the Economic Conferences of the Allies, and the measures to be enacted to introduce preferencial trade or a Customs Union within the Empire, will have assumed a concrete form.

129. In any readjustment of taxation we recommend that encouragement be given to local industries by the remission of any prevailing taxation or by the imposition of such duties as may enable local industries to more successfully compete with the foreign article.

130. An ad valorem duty, such as introduced by Ordinance No. III. of 1917, is not, in the opinion of a majority of this committee, an ideal method of taxation, although such a duty may have been justified for revenue purposes in that particular instance. Such duties favour the importation of the inferior article in preference to the good article, and increase the difference in price between the former and the latter. We very much prefer specific duties, in framing which the amount of alien labour involved in the different stages of production be taken into con- sideration where the imported article could be produced locally.

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131. Summary of Recommendations. Our principal recommendations are:-- (1) That Your Excellency assure the Secretary of State for the Colonies that the people of Malta are strongly in favour of a system of preferential trade or Customs Union within the Empire, and will enforce any prohibition or restriction on enemy trade that may be decided upon. (Paragraphs 1 and 2.)

(2) That, although the resources of these islands are very limited, the people of Malta must and are prepared to bear their proportionate share of the burden of the Empire. (Paragraph 3.)

(3) That the attention of the Secretary of State be called to the necessity of removing any prejudice or misunderstanding that may exist to the detriment of the inhabitants of these islands in any of His Majesty's dominions. (Paragraphs 4 and 41.)

(4) That the establishment of a coaling firm of enemy origin or with enemy influence be prohibited. (Paragraphs 5 to 12.)

(5) That strong representations be made to induce British shipowners to use Malta as their bunkering port in the Mediterranean. (Paragraph 13.)

(6) That improvements be made in our harbours to facilitate the discharge of

coal and the handling of cargoes. (Paragraphs 14 and 21.)

(7) That the carriage of goods to British ports in British ships be encouraged by remission or reduction of duties or by other means. (Paragraphs 15 to 17.)

(8) That the Malta postal service be granted to the British flag, and prefer- ably to a company formed in Malta. (Paragraphs 18 to 20.)

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(9) That to supplant German and Austrian trade :-

(a) British merchants should send commercial travellers more frequently, and should be more ready to adapt their goods to the requirements of the markets they supply.

(b) The German system of issuing through bills of lading from and to inland

towns should be adopted in the United Kingdom.

(c) The Continental system of Parcel Post rates should be adopted. (d) An annual grant should be made to the Chamber of Commerce in order that the Chamber may send quarterly to the Board of Trade samples of foreign goods largely in demand in these islands, together with samples of local manufacture. (Paragraphs 28 to 33 and 96.)

(10) That the Chamber of Commerce should keep in touch with the Board of Trade and other Chambers of Commerce for purposes of reciprocity of trade. (Paragraph 33.)

(11) That British subjects and British goods should receive preference in all Government contracts up to a difference of ten per cent. (Paragraph 33.)

(12) That the local Government should endeavour to enlarge the scheme of enrolment in the Malta Royal Naval Reserve. (Paragraph 35.)

(13) That facilities be granted to candidates for employment as officers in the British mercantile marine. (Paragraph 36.)

(14) That facilities be given to intending seamen to learn colloquial English and to proceed to the United Kingdom for employment as ordinary seamen. (Paragraphs 37 and 38.)

(15) That thoroughly equipped craft schools on modern lincs be established as soon as possible. (Paragraph 40.)

(16) That the Emigration Board be given an official status as the adviser of the Government in matters connected with emigration. (Paragraph 41.)

(17) That free classes be set apart in each elementary school for teaching colloquial English to intending emigrants, and that similar free night classes for adults be established for the same purpose. (Paragraph 41.)

(18) That a system of voluntary registration of land should be introduced, and that land so registered should be exempted from general hypothecation. (Para- graphs 47 to 40.)

(19) That the imposition of further burthens on property should be restricted. (Paragraph 50.)

(20) That the present rate of redemption of burthens be raised to four per. cent. (Paragraph 51.)

(21) That security of tenureship of agricultural land should be granted to tenants. (Paragraphs 54 and 56.)

(22) That all Government agricultural land be given on long lease. (Para- graphs 55 and 57.)

(23) That an Agricultural Bank be established. (Paragraph 58.) (24) That an Agriculture and Fisheries Department and a Board of Agricul- ture be established. (Paragraphs 59 to 63.)

(25) That the tax on seed potatoes be abolished. (Paragraphs 66 and 67.) (26) That the Agricultural Department, should exportation to Germany decrease after the War, experiment with the particular seed potatoes necessary to obtain new markets, especially the British market. (Paragraphs 69 and 70.)

(27) That the Agricultural Department study the possibility of obtaining an earlier crop of onions and induce farmers to grow a uniform variety. (Paragraphs 72 to 74.)

(28) That the Agricultural Department should experiment with Egyptian and American cotton seed in order to ascertain whether the staple of the local product can be lengthened. (Paragraphs 75 and 76.)

(29) That the Government should consult the Chamber of Commerce in all matters concerning trade. (Paragraphs 79 and 80.)

(30) That an Industrial Board be established. (Paragraphs 81 and 82.) (31) That local industries should receive encouragement from the Government

in such particular shape as advised by the Industrial Board, and that, on the advice

of that Board, temporary local concessions or monopolies for the establishment of new industries be granted. (Paragraphs 83 to 86.)

(32) That the system of measuring wheat for taxation purposes be substituted by weighing, and that imported flour be taxed on the gross weight. (Paragraphs 87 to 89.)