§ Dr. ADDISONasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps were taken 3197W by the Board to ascertain the desire of British furniture manufacturers to exhibit at the forthcoming exhibition at Ghent; what representatives of the furniture industry were consulted; and on what grounds the Board of Trade stated in their letter of 12th July to Mr. P. E. Gates that there was little desire on the part of manufacturers to take part?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe question as to the desirability or otherwise of including exhibits of British furniture at the forthcoming Exhibition at Ghent was discussed with the chairman and other members of the committee which organised the British exhibits of decoration and furniture at the recent exhibitions at Brussels and Turin. These gentlemen advised that there was little prospect of organising a creditable exhibit of British furniture in Belgium at so short an interval after the Brussels Exhibition. The number of inquiries which have been received up to the present confirm the view then taken that there was little desire on the part of British furniture manufacturers to take part in the Ghent Exhibition.