asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce what is the rate of Customs duty at present levied on linen thread; and if he can state if the firm manufacturing this product in Eire have recently farmed out their monopoly to the Linen Thread Company of Glasgow, against whom the tariff on linen thread was originally imposed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Duty on Linen Thread.
The rate of Customs duty levied on linen thread is 100 per cent. ad valorem on all thread except thread manufactured in the United Kingdom or Canada, on which the rate of duty is 40 per cent. While the Irish Thread Manufacturing Company, Ltd., is at the moment the only firm in this country manufacturing linen thread, it has not been granted a monopoly of this industry. There can be no question, therefore, of “farming out their monopoly,” as the Deputy phrases it.
Is the Minister aware that behind the tariff of 100 per cent. the Irish Linen Thread Company established itself in this city and that the tariff was raised to 100 per cent. on representations being made to the Minister's Department that if it was not fixed at that figure the Linen Thread Company of Glasgow would dump thread here? The tariff was raised to 100 per cent. and a circular issued on the 31st January by the Linen Thread Company of Glasgow states:—
"The Irish Thread Manufacturing Company, Ltd., and ourselves have come to an agreement whereby we will be the sole selling agent for their threads, shoe threads and twines in Eire and this arrangement will take place as from 1st of February, 1939. We solicit orders for their threads and also for our own threads and should be obliged if in future you will address all orders for linen threads, shoe threads and twines to our Dublin warehouse, 10 South Anne Street, where they will have our very careful and prompt attention."
Is there any reason why I should pay 50 per cent. more for thread to the Linen Thread Company of Glasgow because they have entered into an agreement with the Linen Thread Company of Dublin?
They have not.
They have. And merchants in this country are to be plundered by the Linen Thread Company of Glasgow behind a tariff of 40 per cent.
That statement is entirely untrue.
Is it not there for you to read it if you want to read it?
No.
Read it again.
Anyone with average intelligence would know it was not true.
Which statement is untrue?
Statements true or untrue should not be made in guise of questions.
I have not made any statement. I have asked the Minister is he aware of the statement. He says it is not true because, as usual, his leg is being pulled by the tariff mongers of this country.
I am fully informed of all the details of the arrangement made by the Irish Thread Company with the Linen Thread Company of Glasgow.
Then the scandal is even greater than I thought it was.
Of course, statements may be untrue without being consciously or deliberately so.
We often have the privilege here of saying a statement is untrue.