WEIGHTS AND MEASURES (LEATHER MEASUREMENT) BILL [Lords]. (Hansard, 3 July 1919)

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Bridge-man)

I beg to move, "That the Bill be now lead a second time."

This is a small measure which, I think, will be of considerable benefit to the leather trade. It is desired by that trade, and it is brought in after hearing the views of deputations from the Federation of the Hide and Leather Trade, the Hide and Tanners' Federation, and the Boot and Shoe federation, and it has also been approved by the London County Council. During recent years it has become the practice to sell leather more by measure than by weight, and some 4,000,000 ft. of leather are now sold every year by superficial measure. Hon. Members will readily understand that it is not a very easy thing to ascertain exactly the true measurement of a hide, owing to its shape, and it is desirable that those who buy and sell should have some form of measure sufficiently accurate to be relied upon. There are two different kinds of machines in use which, in the opinion of the authorities at the Board of Trade and the county council, are reliable machines, and the object of this Bill is to apply Section 6 of the Weights and Measures Act of 1904 to such machines —that is to say, as soon as they are approved they may be certified, having been tested, and then they may be inspected at some future date. It is thought that if some of these machines are certified by the Board of Trade it will give satisfaction both to the buyer and seller, and will gradually lead to measurement only being done by these approved machines. For these reasons I hope that the House will give this Bill a Second Reading, and, indeed, pass it as soon as possible.