EMPIRE TRADE MARK.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 31 July 1925, Page 10

EMPIRE TRADE MARK.

OPPOSITION OF BRITISH MANUFACTURERS.

The executive committee of the Fede ation of British Industries have reaffirmed a decision that in their opinion a British Empire trade mark, to indicate goods manufactured within the British Empire, is not desirable in the best interests of trade. Reasons io- this, attitude have been conveyed to Sir Arthur Balfour, chairman of the Committee on Industry and Trade. in the main they cover the fo lowing ground : In the less sophisticated markets of the world, particularly in the East and Far East, a uniform British Empire mark inih t confuse the. minds of customers as to the difference between high aiullow grade marks, and would give the'~imnression to them that all goods carrying the mark were of a single quality. Tin. establishment, of a British mark would seriously reduce the value of niv-ate trade . marks registered in orei<iii countries

It would he impossible to make any n-raneenients to guarantee th 0 quality of 'roods hearing the mark, which vo’dd be in many cases attached to ir tries of inferior quality, and thereby -eact. to the grave advantage of our ’.at'onal prestige. With regard to the first objection it is noted that goods sell to an enormous extent throughout the Far Eastern market entirely on their trade mark. Hence the zeal of old-established 44 rrn s to oreserve the mark hy which tfev have always been known in the m-i-ket. and their opposition to any additional mark which might place the vvh > e long-standing excellence has ..-on them a high reoutation. on , v.- el with inferior goods from other makers.