§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENTI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether 6,000 cast steel Firmer chisels coming from Germany were recently seized by the Customs House at Leith, by reason of the word Sheffield being engraved thereon, and were subsequently sold by public auction under the Royal Arms and Cypher, thereby supplying the Leith and Edinburgh market with chisels for some time to come, and, in such a case, if he can state who were the exporters and the importers of these contraband goods, and what steps have been taken in respect of them; and what was the sum realised by this Government auction, and if it can be sent to the Mayor of Sheffield for distribution among the Societies succouring the unemployed in the edge tool and cutlery trade?
§ MR. BRYCEThe Commissioners of Customs inform the Board of Trade 1223 that the chisels referred to—valued at £30—were imported from Hamburg to Leith in September last year. They were contained in packages bearing two labels with English wording, one qualified as to the foreign origin of the goods and the other not, but the chisels themselves were stamped "warranted east steel" without qualification, and were accordingly retained as a seizure, as is usual in the case of the importation of foreign-made hardware so marked. The goods were sold at the recent Customs sale at Leith, the illegal marks being first removed therefrom, and realised £25 4s. This account has been carried to the account of the Crown, and cannot be dealt with in any other manner. It is not the practice of the Commissioners of Customs to divulge the names of either the consignors or consignees, or to take any action beyond seizure.
§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENTHas any notice been taken of it with regard to the importers?
§ MR. BRYCEI am not aware of any action being taken. As I have informed the hon. Member, this is a matter for the Commissioners of Customs and not for the Board of Trade.
§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENTBut is not the administration of the Merchandise Marks Act under the Board of Trade, and was not the seizure effected under a clause of that Act?
§ MR. BRYCENo, Sir; the seizure was made by the Commissioners of Customs. It is for them to carry out this particular Act.
§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENTI will call attention to this matter on the Estimates?
§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT (Sheffield, Ecclesall)Will the right hon. Gentleman take steps to initiate a prosecution under the Merchandise Marks Act?
§ COMMANDER BETHELL(York, E. R., Holderness)Who is responsible for answering questions on this subject?
§ MR. BRYCEI am responsible. But these seizures were made by the Commissioners of Customs, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary to the Treasury has to answer questions for that body.
§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my question.
§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTYes, I did. I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, as he is responsible, he will see that a prosecution is instituted?
§ MR. BRYCEI have said that this matter does not relate entirely to the Board of Trade: it also affects the Commissioners of Customs, and I cannot answer questions in regard to it without consulting them.
§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENTWas any communication sent by the Commissioners of the seizure of falsely-marked chisels, and, if so, what action was taken upon it?
§ MR. BRYCEIf my hon. and gallant I Friend likes to put down any further I question with regard to the different steps taken in this matter I will endeavour to obtain the information. But I must remind him that he is asking as to something which is not in the question on the Paper.