§ Mr. BUTCHERasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether the shares in Conrad Schmidt (F. A. Glaeser), Limited, are almost entirely held by German enemies residing in Germany; whether this company has since the outbreak of war, for their own purposes, been undercutting prices to the detriment of British manufacturers: whether this company is still allowed to carry on business under its German name subject only to the vesting of the German-owned shares with the Public Trustee; and (2) whether he is aware that there are British companies in existence who are capable of manufacturing and supplying the goods hitherto manufactured and supplied by Conrad Schmidt (F. A. Glaeser), Limited, and of giving employment to the workpeople hitherto employed by this German-owned company; and will he say what special reasons there are, if any, for not winding-up this company?
Mr. HARCOURTA large majority of the shares of Conrad W. Schmidt (F. A. Glaeser), Limited, are held by Germans resident in Germany, but the supervisor reports that he finds no evidence of improper trading. The case has been considered by the Advisory Committee, who came to the conclusion that the business, employing a staff of about 140 British subjects, was one which it is desirable to maintain, and advised that the shares held by enemies should be vested in the Public Trustee for the purpose of sale. A vesting order has been made in respect of all the shares held by enemies, and the Public Trustee is now taking steps to sell them to British subjects.