Written Answers
Trade And Commerce
Import Duties (Revenue)-
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the revenue obtained in 1932 and 1933, respectively, through duties placed by the Import Duties Act upon imported produce which was already paying duties under the Horticultural Products Act?
The approximate amounts of revenue obtained in the periods 1st September to 31st December, 1932, and 1st January to 30th April, 1933 (the latest date for which information is available) from the duties under the Import Duties Act, 1932, on goods liable until 1st September, 1932, to duty under the Horticultural Products (Emergency Customs Duties) Act, 1931, were, as follow:
| 1932 | 1933 |
| (from 1st September) | (to 30th April) |
| £ | £ |
| 145,000 | 172,000 |
Argentine And Canadian Oats (Prices)
asked the President of the Board of Trade at what price Argentine and Canadian oats were being sold in Great Britain oil the 1st of each month from January, 1932, to the latest available date; and at what price oats of similar quality were being sold in their country of origin on the same dates?
The following statement shows the prices at which Argentine oats were sold in Great Britain and in the Argentine at the beginning of each month from January, 1932, to June, 1933, and at 26th June, 1933.
| Beginning of month. | Oats— London. Plate f.a.q. landed. | Oats— Buenos Aires. Terminal market prices. | |||
| Shillings and pence per 320 lbs. | |||||
| 1932. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| January | … | 18 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| February | … | 18 | 3 | 9 | 11 |
| March | … | 18 | 3 | 11 | 4 |
| April | … | 17 | 6 | 10 | 10 |
| May | … | 19 | 3 | 11 | 3 |
| June | … | 17 | 9 | 10 | 6 |
| July | … | 17 | 3 | 10 | 1 |
| August | … | 17 | 9 | 10 | 6 |
| September | … | 18 | 3 | 10 | 2 |
| October | … | 18 | 3 | 10 | 2 |
| November | … | 17 | 9 | 11 | 4 |
| December | … | 18 | 0 | 9 | 11 |
| 1933. | |||||
| January | … | 15 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| February | … | 15 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
| March | … | 14 | 6 | 9 | 0 |
| April | … | 14 | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| May | … | 14 | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| June | … | 14 | 6 | 9 | 3 |
| At June 26 | … | 14 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
The following statement shows the prices at which Canadian oats were sold in Great Britain and in Canada at the beginning of each month from January, 1932, to the latest available date.
| Beginning of Month. | Oats—London Canadian Western No. 2 landed. | Oats—Winnipeg Canadian Western No. 2 | ||||
| Shillings and pence per 320 lbs. | ||||||
| 1932. | s. | d. | s. | d.s. | d. | |
| January | … | 22 | 6 | 13 | 4–14 | 4 |
| February | … | 23 | 0 | 13 | 6–13 | 9 |
| March | … | 24 | 0 | 14 | 7–14 | 10 |
| April | … | 22 | 6 | 13 | 2–13 | 6 |
| May | … | 23 | 6 | 15 | 7–16 | 2 |
| June | … | 22 | 3 | 15 | 1–15 | 4 |
| July | … | 21 | 6 | 15 | 4–15 | 7 |
| August | … | 22 | 6 | 15 | 1–16 | 5 |
| September | … | 22 | 0 | 12 | 10–13 | 8 |
| October | … | 21 | 3 | 11 | 8–12 | 3 |
| November | … | 19 | 9 | 11 | 8–12 | 3 |
| December | … | 19 | 9 | 11 | 0–11 | 6 |
| 1933. | ||||||
| January | … | 18 | 9 | 10 | 4–11 | 6 |
| February | … | 18 | 0 | 10 | 6–10 | 8 |
| March | … | 17 | 0 | 10 | 10– | 11 3 |
| April | … | 17 | 0 | 10 | 8–11 | 2 |
| May | … | 16 | 9 | *
| ||
| June | … | 17 | 0 | *
| ||
| At June 26 | … | 16 | 6 | *
| ||
*Prices not available. | ||||||
Note.- The quotations in London have been taken from the"Corn Trade News"; the price% in Winnipeg are in cents per bushel as published in the "Canadian Monthly Bulletin of Agricultural Statistics" and they have been converted to shillings and pence per 320 lbs. at, the rate prevailing at the date of quotation.
Imports And Exports
asked the President of the Board of Trade the imports and exports into and out of this country for the years 1913 and 1932, respectively, giving separate figures in respect of foreign and Empire trade?
The following table shows the total declared value of merchandise imported into and exported from the United Kingdom during the years 1913 and 1932, distinguishing, the amounts consigned from and to foriegn countries and British countries, respectively:
| — | Total Imports into the United Kingdom. | Exports from the United Kingdom. | ||||
| Produce and manufactures of the U.B. | Imported merchandise. | |||||
| 1913. | 1932. | 1913. | 1932. | 1913. | 1932. | |
| In million£. | ||||||
| Total trade | 768·7 | 703·1 | 525·2 | 365·1 | 109·6 | 50·9 |
| Of which consigned from and to | ||||||
| Foreign Countries | 577·2 | 454·1 | 329·9 | 199·6 | 96·0 | 39·3 |
| British Countries | 191·5 | 249·0 | 195·3 | 165·5 | 13·6 | 11·6 |
| Notes:— | ||||||
| (1) The above figures for 1913 relate to the trade of the British Isles as a whole, while those for 1932 relate to the trade of Great Britain and Northern Ireland only. | ||||||
| (2) Owing to territorial changes since 1913, the figures relating to foreign countries and British countries, respectively for the years 1913 and 1932 are not strictly comparable. | ||||||
| (3) The figures for 1932 are provisional. | ||||||
Government Publications (Advertisements)
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if, in view of the revenue derived by the Treasury from the licensed trade, he will consider removing the present ban which prevents this trade from advertising in the Post Office Telephone Directories, etc.?
The present policy with regard to the exclusion of certain classes of advertising from Post Office Telephone Directories and other Government publications has been followed for some years. The consideration referred to in the first part of the question would not appear to be a new circumstance involving the reopening of the matter.
Fishing Vessels (Duty Free Spirits)
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the evidence at the recent inquiry held at Grimsby by the Board of Trade into the loss of the trawler" Silanion," relating to the supply of spirits to trawlers, he will consider the amendment of the present Regulation which permits the shipment as bonded stores of a quarter-pint of spirits per man per diem?
Attention has recently been drawn to the question of the existing arrangements under which duty free spirits are allowed to be shipped as bonded stores on fishing vessels in certain cases, and the matter is being considered by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise in conjunction with the Board of Trade.
Government Departments
Customs And Excise
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) the number of Customs and Excise senior chief clerks, chief clerks, officers with reserved rights blocking departmental higher clerical officer posts; departmental higher clerical officers (men); departmental higher clerical officers (women); departmental clerical officers (men); departmental clerical officers (women); S-class clerks; P-class clerks; temporary clerks (men); temporary clerks (women, showing respective grades)-, casual clerks; writing assistants and members of the typing grade, established and unestablished, respectively, employed in the Customs and Excise Department as at the most convenient latest date; and the allocation of such officers to each office or sub-office and differentiating between outdoor and indoor staffs in London and the provinces;
(2) the number of higher clerical officers (men); higher clerical officers (women)-, clerical officers (men); clerical officers (women); S-class clerks; P-class clerks; writing assistants; superintendents of typists; shorthand typists (permanent and temporary, respectively); typists (permanent and temporary, respectively); temporary clerks (men); temporary clerks (women) (showing respective grades) employed in Secretaries' Office, Accountant and Comptroller-General's Office, and Statistical Office, respectively, of the Customs and Excise Department as at the most convenient latest date?I am sending the particulars requested direct to the hon. Member.
| — | 1929. | 1930. | 1931. | 1932. | |
| *Boy Messengers | … | 1,613 | 21346 | 2,160 | 1,380 |
| Postmen | … | 2,708 | 2833 | 2,828 | 2,311 |
| Sorting Clerks and Telegraphist. | … | 987 | 1,067 | 973 | 740 |
| Telephonists | … | 1,815 | 1,143 | 601 | 576 |
| Sorters | … | 327 | 320 | 399 | 141 |
| Telegraphists | … | — | 4 | 1 | — |
| Counter Clerks and Telegraphists | … | 152 | 221 | 145 | 106 |
| * The figures relating to boy messengers are others are for calendar years. | |||||
asked the Postmaster-General what was the number of persons recruited to the Post Office staff during each of the years between 31st October, 1929, and 31st October, 1932; the annual wastage due to all causes; and the net increase or decrease of the total staff during each year?
The total number of persons employed in the Post Office on 1st October in each of the years 1929–32 was as follows:
| 1929 | … | … | … | … | 231,297 |
| 1930 | … | … | … | … | 232,730 |
| 1931 | … | … | … | … | 233,406 |
| 1932 | … | … | … | … | 230,220 |
asked the Postmaster-General what was the total staff of the Post Office on 31st March, 1933, comparable with the figure 230,991 on 31st March, 1932.
The comparable figure for 31st March, 1933, is 228,422.
Post Office
asked the Postmaster-General what has been the annual recruitment of boy messengers, postmen, sorting clerks and telegraphists (provincial), telephonists, sorters, telegraphists, and counter clerks and telegraphists during each of the calendar years 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1932?
The information asked for by the hon. Member is as follows:
Coal Industry ('Horses And Ponies)
asked the Secretary for Mines what is the type and average size of ponies employed in the mines in the northern division; the average number of years during which such horses are employed below ground; the number which worked more than one shift per day and nine shifts per week during the 12 months prior to the last available date; the respective weight of empty and full tubs drawn by the ponies during that period; the average distance from the pit bottom to their working places; what, proportion of roads are electrically lighted and how many of the ponies have lamps affixed to their harness; and what is the average distance of the stalls from the working places, and whether in the intake or return airway?
The type of horse used in mines in the northern division varies according to the service required by the conditions of different, pits. In coal mines the ponies may be small ones of 10 to 11 hands or large ones of 12 to 13 hands. In the Cleveland ironstone mines draught horses of 15 to 17 hands are commonly employed. In general, these ponies and horses work by the light of the lamps carried by their drivers I regret that I am unable to give the statistical information asked for in the other parts of the question, and, as I informed the hon. Member in reply to a question on 2.3rd May, I am of opinion that it would be misleading to consider the relation of the task of a horse to its capacity in terms of averages or in relation only to the factors, mentioned, and that the matter is essentially one which calls for care and judgment in the individual case. I have no reason to think that the necessary care and judgment are not being properly exercised in the northern division.