CO885-(25-26) — Page 596

546

سالسا

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

6

C.O

Reference:

885/25

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO |

( 102 )

Classes of goods in which before the War certain German and Austrian lines were popular on their merits. 22. The values of those imported from Germany in each of the three years before the War were as follows:-

Furniture

Hardware

1911

1912

1913

Agricultural Implements

£6,020

£7,282

£8,442

Ale and Beer

10,332

13,194

13,341

Beads

13,415

16,845

12,735

Blue Indigo

2,226

2,790

2,368

Cotton piece goods

28,824

30,821

37,291

Cotton goods (other kinds)

11,739

11,662

9,362

Drugs and Chemicals

5,414

7,466

8,196

Earthenware

2,487

2,949

2,607

10,735

9,492

9,618

26,460

28,099

30,205

8,084

7,189

6,977

4,577

4,818

4,600

11,968

17,391

15,432

1,836

1,664

2,363

14,021

19,605

19,773

12,115

14,505

16,781

16,002

22'075

30,322

493

2,916

3,870

11,580

8.694

12,907

2,718

4,914

12,028

12,831

16,185

11,368

4,088

5,527

4,556

Machinery all kinds

Musical Instruments

Mineral Waters..

Paints and Oils

Perfumery

Provisions

Sugar

Tools

Unenumerated goods

Motor Vehicles

Wearing Apparel

Woollen Manufactures

23. It is unnecessary I think to give particulars here of the individual German and Austrian lines that were popular. Suffice it to say that they were fairly numerous and that they were imported freely by British as well as by enemy firms. To keep them out of the market therefore after the War we must either impose a surtax on them or forbid their importation altogether. The only question is whether the Colony will be any worse for their exclusion, and this I think can be answered best in detail as follows:-

(a.) Ale and Beer, Cotton piece goods, Cotton goods (other kinds), Earthenware, Mineral Waters, Paints and Oils, Perfumery, Provisions, Tools, Unenumerated goods, Wearing Apparel, Woollen Manufactures. There is little difficulty in obtaining as much of these goods as we require from the United Kingdom even now, and the special lines of them that were supplied by Germany before the War are not missed-being sup- planted for the most part by kindred or similar British goods. We may say therefore that the Colony would not suffer from their total exclusion, either by means of a surtax or by a direct prohibition.

(b.) Agricultural Implements, Beads, Blue Indigo, Furniture, Certain kinds of Hardware (Enamelware), Certain kinds of Musical Instruments, Certain kinds of Machinery. Difficulties are experienced in obtaining suitable substitutes for the special enemy lines that fall under these heads and in some cases the prices for them are abnormally high even for War time, but there is no reason to think that these difficulties will continue after the War or that prices will remain then much higher than those of the corresponding German articles. That the prices will be somewhat higher will be the case I fear, judging by pre-war experience, but the time when price was the only consideration in our international trade has passed, and I think we should make a sacrifice, and by means of a 10 per cent. surtax exclude, or at least place & handicap on such enemy goods,

(c.) Drugs and Chemicals and Sugar. With the large quantities of those now being obtained from the United States of America, the loss of the German source of supply is not missed, and there is no reason why we should go back to it. In this case too I fear that a boycott of the German goods will mean having to pay higher prices elsewhere for our Drugs and Chemicals and Sugar, and unfortunately not altogether for the benefit of the British manufacturer, since it is likely that the American has come into the field to stay, but I think that here again, although the matter is more doubtful, we should make a sacrifice to exclude the German trade.

(d.) Motor Vehicles. I thought at first that an exception might be made as regards these, and that for the sake of encouraging competition with what at present is practically an American monopoly we might admit German motor lorries free. We need motor lorries more and more every year and as things stand at the moment we are dependent for them almost entirely on the United States of America-with the result that the prices charged are abnormally high. The British manufacturer never made a serious attempt to supply the type of vehicle we required. The German did so, but long before the War he was hopelessly beaten by the American. It is doubtful therefore if we should gain much by admitting him once more as a free competitor. We can only hope that Britain and France will take up our requirements more serious- ly after the War than they did before it.

D.

( 103 )

By what means and to what extent should we penalise neutral trade in this Colony for the benefi of United Kingdom?

24. As regards our exports it is desirable I think as shown in paragraphs 16 and 17 to reserve our palm oil and palm kernels for the United Kingdom or better still for Britain and her Allies, if the latter course can be taken without encroaching on neutral treaty rights. It is equally desirable for the reasons given in paragraphs 11 to 15 to have a free market for our other exports.

25. In imports. Holland supplies us with wearing apparel, building materials, cotton goods, hardware, machinery, perfumery, provisions, coopers atores, and woollen goods--all of which, or substitutes, could be supplied by the United Kingdom. The United States of America supplies us with building materials, hardware, furniture, tools and machinery that also could be supplied by the United Kingdom. There is no reason I think why all such imports from neutral countries should not be surtaxed. The result might mean a slight increase in the prices of them here, but the gain to British trade should be worth the sacrifice.

26. On the other hand Holland supplies us with gin and a certain class of cigars which could not be obtained nearly as cheaply, if at all, elsewhere; and the United States of America supplies us with flour, certain kinds of salted beef and pork, lumber, kerosine, provisions, rum and unmanufactured tobacco which up to now have never been supplied from elsewhere. It would be unwise I thing to surtax those. To do so would have no other result than increased cost to the consumer. American carriages and carts and motor vehicles too are by far the best and cheapest of their kind that have come to our market, and it would be unwise to penalise them for the benefit of the United Kingdom till the British manufacturer can put up efficient substitutes.

27. Apart from Holland and the United States of America no neutral country trades to any appreciable extent in our markets.

E,

To what extent should we penalise neutral trade in this Colony for the benefit of our Allies?

28. The only Ally who has any appreciable direct trade with the Colony is France and I think it would be only right and in accordance with the spirit of the resolutions of the Economic Conference to grant her all the rights and privileges granted to the United Kingdom. This, as far as I can see, would involve no sacrifice on the part of the Colony or hardship to the United Kingdom, and it would be more than ample to cover all the trade interests that France has sought or is likely to seek here. I fancy however that "most favoured nation treatment" has been guaranteed by treaty to the United States of America and Holland, the principal neutrals effected, and that it may be difficult to grant commercial privileges to our allies at their expense. This of course is a matter for investigation by the Imperial Government.

F. The recovery of British and Allied trade lost during the War.

29. This need not trouble us. Notwithstanding all difficulties incidental to the War, Britain and France, the only nations concerned, have lost practically no trade here, and any gains by neutrals have not been at their expense.

30. Treatment of Enemy Shipping. The only practical and effective way in which we could penalise enemy shipping, having regard to local conditions, would be to impose a surtax of say £3 per ton on all goods imported or exported in enemy vessels.

31. On the whole therefore there seems to be nothing obscure or difficult in the problem in so far as it affects this Colony. Neither does there seem to be any difficulty in deciding as to the manner in which we may discharge our duty to Britain and her Allies. All enemy goods can be kept out of our markets quite easily by a surtax or a direct prohibition, and none but the enemy will be much the worse. As regards penalising neutral imports for the benefit of the United Kingdom, the only articles worth penalising are those from Holland and the United States of America as enumerated in paragraph 25. Whether we can penalise them for the benefit of our allies also seems to be a question for the Imperial Government. In exports, as stated already, the only articles which it would be practicable and desirable for us to reserve for Britain and her Allies are palm kernels and palm oil

Accra,

14th December, 1916.

O. MITCHELL,

Assistant Comptroller of Customs