§ 3. Mr. JOHN WARDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that quantities of German and Austrian pottery goods have been imported into England without any trade or country of origin stamped thereon; that these goods have generally been sold as of British manufacture; that 356 even some of the manufacturers and factors in the pottery district have sold these goods as British manufacture; and that cheap copies of registered English shapes and decorations have been regularly imported from Germany and Austria; and whether, when he is considering measures to help British trade, he will bring in a short Bill to compel all pottery goods imported in future into this country from Germany and Austria to bear in indelible and plainly readable letters, burnt into the pieces and under the glaze, the name of the country of origin?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Runciman)If the allegation is that goods of German and Austrian manufacture have been sold under a false trade description the existing law provides a remedy. I have some doubt, however, whether the compulsory marking of such goods with their countries of origin would be of ultimate benefit to British trade.