The Tariff Commission was established in the United Kingdom in December 1903 by

Joseph Chamberlain Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually served as a leading imperialist in coalition with the Cons ...

. The Commission was set up under the auspices of the

Tariff Reform League The Tariff Reform League (TRL) was a protectionist British pressure group formed in 1903 to protest against what they considered to be unfair foreign imports and to advocate Imperial Preference to protect British industry from foreign competition ...

William Hewins William Albert Samuel Hewins (11 May 1865 – 17 November 1931) was a British economist and Conservative politician. In 1895, he was appointed by Sidney Webb as the first Director of the London School of Economics, a post he held until 1903. Fa ...

the economist and first director of the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 millio ...

from 1895 to 1903, was Secretary and Sir

Robert Herbert Sir Robert George Wyndham Herbert, (12 June 1831 – 6 May 1905), was the first Premier of Queensland, Australia. At 28 years and 181 days of age, he was the youngest person ever to be elected premier of an Australian state. Early years Born ...

, the first Premier of Queensland, Australia, was Chairman. The Commission consisted of 59 business men whose brief was to construct a "Scientific Tariff" which would achieve tariff reform objectives. The aims of the Commission were to examine and report on Chamberlain's proposals for tariff reform. Members of the Commission included: * Sir

Vincent Caillard Sir Vincent Henry Penalver Caillard (23 October 1856 – 18 March 1930) was a British Army officer, financier and municipal politician. He served as President of the Ottoman Public Debt Council and the Financial Director of Vickers. He was also a ...

, International financier *

Henry Birchenough Sir John Henry Birchenough, 1st Baronet, (7 March 1853 – 12 May 1937) was an English businessman and public servant. Early life and education Birchenough was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, the second son of John Birchenough, a silk manufac ...

, Silk manufacturer and special commissioner appointed by the Board of Trade in 1903 to inquire into and report upon the present position and future prospects of British trade in South Africa *

Sir Andrew Noble, 1st Baronet Sir Andrew Noble, 1st Baronet (13 September 1831 – 22 October 1915) was a Scottish physicist noted for his work on ballistics and gunnery. Early life Born at Greenock, he was educated at Edinburgh Academy and at the Royal Military Academy, ...

Scottish physicist, *Sir Charles Tennant, President of United Alkali, businessman *Sir

Alexander Henderson, 1st Baron Faringdon Alexander Henderson, 1st Baron Faringdon (28 September 1850 – 17 March 1934), known as Sir Alexander Henderson, 1st Baronet, from 1902 to 1916, was a British financier and Liberal Unionist Member of Parliament. Biography Henderson was the ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

financier and

Liberal Unionist The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington (later the Duke of Devonshire) and Joseph Chamberlain, the party established a political ...

Member of Parliament. *Sir

Samuel Bagster Boulton Sir Samuel Bagster Boulton, 1st Baronet (1830 – April 27, 1918) was the first baronet of Manor of Copped Hall, Copped Hall, a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in England, Lord of the Manor of Totteridge, Justice of the Peac ...

, chairman of Burt, Boulton, and Haywood (Limited), of London, Paris, Riga, Salzaette, and Bilbao, timber merchants and contractors. He was also chairman of the Dominion Tar and Chemical Company (Limited), and of the British Australian Timber Company (Limited). *Alfred Gilbey, younger brother of

Walter Gilbey Sir Walter Gilbey, 1st Baronet, (2 May 1831 – 12 November 1914) was an English wine-merchant, horse-breeder, author, and philanthropist. Early life Gilbey was born at 11, Windhill, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire to Henry Gilbey (1789– ...

, wine and spirits dealer *

Vicary Gibbs (St Albans MP) Vicary Gibbs (12 May 1853 – 13 January 1932) was a British barrister, merchant and Conservative Party politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1892 to 1904. He lost his seat after his business created a conflict of interest. He was the ...

The Commission intended to publish reports on every industry that they investigated and bring these together into a final report that would lay out a full tariff scheme. Seven volumes were published, but lack of funds caused the eventual abandonment of publishing

References

{{Reflist

External links

London School of Economics Library; accessed 7 October 2017
Protectionism 1903 establishments in the United Kingdom

Further reading

References

External links