MR. THOROLD ROGERSasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether it is not the fact that the Assay Office at Exeter, for the purpose of marking manufactured plate, has not been long shut up, to the great inconvenience of silver and goldsmiths in the West of England; and, whether he will take steps to obviate the inconvenience and loss which ensues from the present state of things?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. CHILDERS)In reply to my hon. Friend, I have to say that the Assay Office at Exeter was discontinued in July, 1883, in consequence of the small amount of plate which was sent there to be assayed and marked. Nearly the whole of the plate assayed at that office in 1882 and up to July, 1883, was sent in by a Bristol firm, and when they transferred their business to London the necessity for continuing the office at Exeter ceased to exist. The Company, therefore, passed a resolution to close the office, as they considered that the expenses of keeping it up would not be covered by the fees. I find it hard to believe that the business of goldsmiths and silversmiths in the West of England should have so considerably 1692 increased since the Exeter office was closed as to give cause for the complaint of loss and inconvenience to the trade.