FUR COAT TRADE SECRETS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17701, 1 March 1923, Page 11

FUR COAT TRADE SECRETS.

CHINCHILLA EAT. At Marlborough street Police Court, London, recently. Char lea Wayie, Oxford street, W., was proceeded against for selling a fur ooat to which a false trade description, "Crimmer lamb" was applied. For the prosecution, the London Fur Trade Association, it- was alleged that a coat sold at £7 7b, as grey Crimmer lamb waa made from "slink" lamb, a white interior fur, which was dyed grey to imitate the Crimmer. Mr E. Poland, senior partner of Messrs Poland and Sons, fur and skin merchants, (Jueen Victoria street, E.G., said that the coat produced was not made of Crimmer lamb, which was a trade expression referring to a distinct breed of sheep. Asked as to chinchilla fur, Mr Poland said it was fetching enormous, even fabulous prices. Sir Edward Marshall Hall, K.G., for the defence: Real chinchilla is a rat, is it not?—lt is a rodent. Sir Edward said that a real chinchilla ekin waa worth £lO. He held up a skin and said: That is what we call chinchilla rat. That is an ordinary rat skin. You would agree that that may be described as a cninchillaratP—'Yes. To make it more like chinchilla the back of the skin has been died dark blue so as to produce a luminous effect ? —Oh, is that the idea? (Laughter.) Producing yet another chinchilla rat, Sir Edward said the value of the two chinchilla rat skins was 2s 6d as compared with £lO for the first chinchilla skin. He also put in a fashion-paper picture of a chinchilla rat coat to which was appended the following:—"The silver lights of chinchilla, nowadays so rarely seen, are closely resembled by the chinchilla rat, of which this cloak is made." ; Mr Poland agreed that to sell, a coat like that as chinchilla rat would be perfectly legitimate. Sir Edward suggested that the selling of the coat as "Crimmer lamb" as distinct from "Crimmei"' was analogous to that. Mr Poland: No. The name of a. "Crimmer lamb" belongß to what Is known in natural history as "Crimean lamb." If you were persuaded that the real object of this prosecution was to destroy the trade of a man wlio was selling in competition with other members of the association at a low price you would not be a party to countenancing it?— No. Sir Edward: When I tell you that the advertisement of the fur coats in this oase cost £IOOO (£9OO to the "Daily Mail" and £IOO for'the block), and that 15 was the total of these particular ooats advertised at £7s 7s eaoh, would you still suggest there was any fraud in the case? Mr Mead, the magistrate (interposing): That is not a question for the witness to decide. Fraud is a very ambiguous tern. (To Sir Edward): What you are going to say :1s that this material has a fictitious name? Sir .Edward: A name of repute. Mr Mend: In the same war that Stilton cheese not made at Stilton is called Stilton cheese^ Sir Edward: That wfll save me asking a great many questions. The hearing was adjourned.