§ 71. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether J. H. Wagner, the proprietor of J. H. Wagner and Company, of Watling Street, is an unnaturalised German; whether two months ago he received a petition asking that this business should be wound up, signed by fifty-two of the leading firms in the textile trade of the City of London; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter?
Mr. ROBERTSThe answer to the first and second inquiries contained in the hon. Member's question is in the affirmative. The case was considered both in July last and again last month by the Board's Advisory Committee, to whom the Board remitted the petition referred to. The Committee, after bearing the gentleman who drew up the petition, reported 600 that they still regarded the case as one in which "special reasons" rendered it inexpedient to make an Order under Section 1 of the Trading With the Enemy Amendment Act, 1916. I may say that in reporting to the Board the Committee stated that the business in Alsace with which Wagner had been connected up to the outbreak of war was predominantly French, that Wagner had been settled in this country for thirty years, that they were satisfied that he is wholly British in his sympathies and interests, and that the business which he is conducting is beneficial to British industry. The Board have accepted the recommendation of the Advisory Committee, reaffirmed as it has been after a second careful investigation, but are maintaining supervision of the business.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSHaving regard to the very high position of the signatories of the petition, did the Advisory Committee see any of them before coming to this decision?