CLOTHS FOR CLOTHES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 89, 12 October 1938, Page 23

CLOTHS FOR CLOTHES

ARE THEY BRITISH?

"MACCLESFIELD" IN JAPAN

A scheme to prevent Japanese cloths from being sold as British was discussed Jat a meeting of the Council of the Huddersfield Chamber of Commerce, reports the "Huddersfield Examiner." The discussion arose out pf a letter j from the North Staffordshire Chamber, j saying that British manufacturers of china and earthenware had suffered extensively from the imitation of their designs by Japanese firms. The New Zealand authorities had been asked for the last four years to impose legislation requiring the marking of the country of origin on all goods, but they had replied that new legislation would have to be brought into force to make this possible. The North Staffordshire Chamber, therefore, wished to find out if there was a general desire among British merchants and manufacturers to have such markings made compulsory. If there was, they would table a resolution at the autumn meeting of the Associated Chambers, calling on the British Government to urge the New Zealand Government to bring in the necessary legislation. After some agreement had been expressed with the North Staffordshire proposal, the secretary, Mr. L. V. Driffield, pointed out that this legislation would affect everyone, and asked if the eleth trade were prepared to mark its fabrics in the selvedge every two or three yards with the name of the country of origin. "I have in the office Japanese cloths marked 'English Made' and 'English Style,'" he said. ; CLOTHS ALREADY MARKED. Mr. Thomas Canby said that his experience was that a big proportion of suitings nowadays had the name of the country of origin stamped in the selvedge every three yards. Mr. M. H. Moxon: The* Japanese have even gone so far as to christen a small hamlet "Macclesfield," so that silks can ,be marked "Made in Macclesfield." They have called a certain area "England," so that cloths can be marked "Made in England." Sir Emmanuel Hoyle said that efforts were being made to stop the importation of such goods not only in New Zealand, but in South Africa. When the schemes were completed detectives would be stationed at the ports to see that goods made in Japan did not come into the country marked "Made in England." On the motion of Sir Emmanuel, seconded by Mr. G. C. Hirst, it was resolved to support the North Staffordshire resolution, adding the suggestion that the country of origin shoubld be marked on in the language of that country. A warning was read from a firm who had made up materials made of Italian artificial silk or staple fibre. When the material was sent to the press, they said, it gave off a gas which made it necessary for the operatives to wear gas-masks. ANGLO-TURKISH AGREEMENT. Ah unsatisfactory position under the Anglo-Turkish Agreement was reported by the secretary. The Agreement, he said, was a ridiculous one. The Turkish Government had issued a quota, but were not going to grant licences to the Turkish importers. Their own suggestion was that the British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey should handle the issuing of licences, but he did not expect any of their members to be eager to ship goods under the Agreement. It was a continuation of the old Agreement, and payments were nineteen months behindhand. Debts were expected to be wiped out in 1945.