asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will issue to the Dáil before the Minister for Finance makes his Budget statement a comprehensive return giving all available information in regard to the industries which are at present protected in the Saorstát, and showing—(1) the number of persons employed in each industry at the date of issuing the return as contrasted with the number employed at the date of the passing of protective tariffs; (2) the comparative retail prices of the protected goods manufactured now and at the time of the passing of the tariffs; (3) the comparative retail prices of similar articles as manufactured in England; and if he will state the effect of protective tariffs on the prices of imported articles which are subject to an import duty, e.g., the prices charged for such articles in England and the prices charged for the same articles in Ireland.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - PARTICULARS OF PROTECTED INDUSTRIES.
I will circulate with the Official Report a Table giving particulars, so far as the information is available, of the number of persons employed in the protected industries on the dates when protected industries on the dates when protection was instituted and on a recent date.
I regret that I cannot give any of the other figures demanded. Particulars are not available of retail prices either now or in the past, except in so far as such particulars are obtained for and used in the quarterly report on the cost of living. Such particulars do not distinguish between home-manufactured and imported articles. A glance at the list of protected industries will show that they produce an immense variety of different articles and of different qualities of the same article. These are retailed at different prices in a large number of shops throughout the Saorstát. It would be impracticable except at the cost of prolonged inquiry to compile any dependable figures showing comparative prices now and at some date in the past.
The last part of the question asks me to do in respect of protected goods what I explained on the 3rd February in reply to a question by the Deputy as to the cost of living to be impossible. If it is impracticable to compile dependable figures of retail prices for such an immense number of articles in this country, it is still more impracticable to ascertain them in another country and even if they were obtained there could be no assurance that they applied to the same quality goods.
The following is the return:—
PROTECTED INDUSTRIES.
Return based on the available information at the date of the institution of protection and at a recent date.
FINANCE ACT, 1925.
|
INDUSTRY |
Persons employed on Ist April,'25 mainly working part-time. |
Persons employed on Ist Nov., '25 (working full time). |
Increase |
Increase calculated on basis of full time employment. |
|
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
|
|
1. Wholesale Clothing (i.e., Men's & Boys' Factory - Made Clothing) |
845 |
(a) 1366 |
521 |
766 |
|
2. Shirtmaking |
810 |
(a) 1099 |
299 |
699 |
|
3. Hosiery |
988 |
(a) 1215 |
227 |
715 |
|
4. Hats and Caps |
89 |
90 |
1 |
— |
|
5. Umbrellas |
45 |
47 |
2 |
— |
|
6. Tie-making |
101 |
113 |
12 |
12 |
|
7. Blanket Making |
229 |
431 |
202 |
301 |
|
8. Furniture |
482 |
798 |
316 |
498 |
|
9. Metallic Bedsteads |
24 |
125 |
101 |
101 |
|
10. Brush Making |
195 |
277 |
82 |
157 |
|
11. Tailors, Dress - makers, & c. |
Not available. |
Not available. |
— |
300 (b) |
|
12. Corset Making |
Nil. |
Nil. |
— |
80 (c) |
|
3,629 |
||||
(a) The 1st November, the date on which the employment returns were compiled, is the slackest period of the year, and it is estimated that at the 1st March, 1926, there would be increases in employment of about 300 workers.
(b) Estimated. These trades are carried on in so many establishments, large and small, that comprehensive figures have not yet been obtained.
(c) Estimated. New Industry.
FINANCE ACT, 1924.
|
INDUSTRY. |
Persons employed on 1st April, '24 mainly working part-time |
Persons employed on 1st January, 1926 |
Increase |
Increase calculated on basis of full-time employment |
|
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
|
|
Bootmaking |
359 |
1,010 |
651 |
760 |
|
Glass Bottles |
25 |
125 |
100 |
100 |
|
Soap and Candles |
263 |
347 |
84 |
197 |
|
Motor Bodies |
249 |
See note (d) |
— |
Nil. |
|
Confectionery(including Jam) |
3,878 |
4,850 |
972 |
1,450 |
|
2,507 |
(d). Full returns for 1st January, 1926, are not yet available, but it is estimated that they will show a decrease in employment as compared with 1st April, 1924.
FINANCE ACT, 1922.
|
INDUSTRY |
Persons employed on 1st April, '22, mainly working part-time |
Persons employed on 1st January, 1926 |
Increase |
—— |
|
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
|
|
Tobacco |
500 (e) |
1,600 (e) |
1,100 |
— |
|
(e) Estimated. |
|
Total |
1922 |
1,100 |
|
|
,, |
1924 |
2,507 |
|
|
,, |
1926 |
3,629 |
|
|
7,236 |
|||
|
To the total of 7,236 there should be added an estimated increase (a) of 300 at 1st March, 1926 |
300 |
||
|
Total |
7,536 |
The total of 7,536 represents increased employment in the protected industries only. It takes no account of increased employment in the building trade or in other trades connected with the protected industries, consequent on their expansion.
Could the Minister say when he will be able to table a return with regard to employment?
I am having a return published in the Official Report.
I would like to ask the Minister, in view of the statement made by him, how we are to place any reliance on the figures issued as to protected industries if we have not particulars as to increases in prices in the articles they manufacture since the introduction of protection; if the Minister does not consider that an expenditure of money would be warranted in endeavouring to get the information asked for; and, if he cannot give the retail prices in connection with the protected articles, will he give the wholesale prices and the comparative particulars which I have asked for, substituting wholesale for retail prices?
It is very difficult for me to say how much reliance is to be placed upon figures produced by certain interested people in regard to protected industries. As to the point the Deputy raised with regard to justifying a certain amount of expenditure, it is not entirely a question of expenditure; it is a question of the length of the inquiry and the impossibility of deciding whether the inquiry really could produce dependable figures. The third matter is one that I shall have to look into. I am afraid there will be considerable difficulty in supplying the information asked for in this question, even substituting "wholesale" for "retail" where it occurs in the question.
Would the Minister not acknowledge that any information which we get in regard to protected industries must necessarily be incomplete unless we get information of this kind?
That would involve me in a discussion with the Deputy. Like Deputy Cooper, he has apparently found himself able to place reliance on certain statements which he has made himself about those protected industries.