COLONEL HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the suggestion made by Mr. Wheatley, of Sheffield, and others, that, in order to enable British goods to be distinguished amid the mass of fraudulent imitations with which the Home and other markets are inundated, a national British trade mark should be established for articles of British and Irish production; and if he proposes to take any steps in the direction in question?
THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. MUNDELLA,) Sheffield, BrightsideThere is no reason why British and Irish merchants should not voluntarily apply a mark to their commodities indicating that they are of British manufacture if they feel that it is in their interest to do so, but there is no power to order the compulsory marking of all goods of British origin with a uniform mark, and there is no intention to ask for such powers.
* MR. TOMLINSON (Preston)Will the right hon. Gentleman support legislation to secure that, all goods of British or Irish manufacture may be marked with the place of origin, so as to prevent foreign goods being sold as British?
MR. MUNDELLAwas understood to say that British and Irish manufacturers were well able to protect their own interests in this matter.