§ MR. JENNINGS (Stockport)asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he is aware that great inconvenience and loss have been occasioned to the hat manufacturers of this country by the practice, recently adopted in the principal ports, of seizing British made hats which have been sent as samples to foreign firms, and returned here so that orders may be accurately executed; and, whether if a list of recognized hat manufacturers is supplied to the Custom authorities at the various ports, they will permit sample hats addressed to 1751 the firms in question to be forwarded without these vexatious delays?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. JACKSON) (Leeds, N.)(who replied) said: Doubtless some inconvenience has been occasioned to the hat manufacturers of this country, as to the manufacturers of other goods, through the detention on their return to this country of goods, or samples of goods, by reason of their being marked in contravention of the provisions of the Merchandize Marks Act, 1887; but this has been inevitable from the operation of the Act. If, however, particulars of the marks on such goods were furnished to the Board of Customs by those manufacturers who frequently receive back from abroad either consignments or samples of British goods, and of the ports into which they come, instructions might be sent to those ports to deliver the goods, upon proof being given direct to the local officers (1) that the goods were of British origin; and (2) that they were made by the persons whose names appear upon them. The latter proof may be furnished by the written consent of those persons to the admission of the goods; or by declaration from the importers that the goods were made by the persons whose names appear upon them; or the marking may be erased from the goods.