MARKS ON IMPORTED GOODS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19720, 20 August 1927, Page 9

MARKS ON IMPORTED GOODS.

EFFECT OF THE BRITISH ACT. Misapprehensions regarding the purport of the Merchandise Marks Act, a measure passed by the Imperial Parliament last year, are removed by a memorandum from the New Zealand Department of Industries and Commerce.

The first part of the Act, which provides that imported goods bearing the name or trademark of a British manufacturer or trader shall not be sold unless accompanied by an indication of origin, came into force on June 15 last. This has for its object the prevention of palpable dishonesty. There appears to be a mistaken idea that to comply with the Act all irru ported goods must in future bear the name of their country of origin. Foreign goods can still be imported and sold with no mark on them at all, but if these goods have any name or trademark attached such as may appear to indicate British origirv the customs officials may refuse to allow them to qjiter unless such marking has by its side a clear indication of the country of origin or an indication that they are foreign. The Act does not apply to goods sold directly for export. In respect of other imports of foreign origin, provision is made in the second part of the Act whereby a statutory committee may, on an application which substantially represents the interests of either manufacturers, producers, dealers, users, consumers or any body of wage-earners, hold public inquiries for the purpose of reporting to the Board of Trade whether an order should be made making the marking of certain goods with an indication of origin compulsory. It is obvious that many difficulties will arise and it is anticipated there will be cases in which insistence on- such marking will be detrimental to British interests, but the safeguard of the Act is that no order will be made unless the Board of Trade is satisfied with the recommendations of the committee, and no order will become effective until both Houses of Parliament have had an opportunity of considering it. Already several inquiries have been started, "the most important of which is that in relation to imported iron and steel. CANTERBURY MARKETS. POSITION OF POTATOES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHBISTCHUBCH, Friday. The easing m she potato demand recorded on Tuesday evening has steadied up. Values are practically at the basis of the week-end report, namely, £5 for August and £5 7s 6d to £5 10s for September. Buyers are now offering £5 for the Katoa and Kurow shipments, which are booked to leave at the beginning of the week. Potatoes are coming forward somewhat too freely to permit a pronounced market advance, but there is a fairly general confidence that in the later stages of the season there will be an appreciable advance. A feature is the demand for Dakotas, and these have been making up to £4 15s on trucks, for the few that are available. The continued wet season in England has attracted attention from that quarter for seeds, notably cowgrass. A fair quantity of good quality seed has been disposed of. It is satisfactory that this outlet is developing. Home buyers are showing no interest in white clover. "Machinedressed perennial ryegrass- is quoted in the South at 3s 9d a bushel, f.0.b., s.i., or about 2s 6d on. trucks. Sales of A grade Gartons have taken place at 3s 2d, f.0.b., s.i., Lyttelton, and for B's at 2s U£d> However, there are inquiries from Australia, and although there is no business at present values, the inquiry is investing the future with a shade more brightness. Chaff is weak, the prospects of export not being so bright in this commodity. The f.0.b., s.i., price is £5 5s and the 'on truck" price at midway stations £3 7s 6d. Wheat is scarcely so firm,_ although prices are unaltered. Tuscan is worth OS Id to 6s 2d on trucks, and Hunters 5s 4d to 6s sd. CHICAGO WHEAT MARKET. A. and N.Z. CHICAGO, Aug. IS. Wheat.—May, 1 dollar 41£ cents per bushel; December, 1 dollar 46 cents; March, 1 dollar 49 cents. MELBOURNE PRODUCE. A. and N.Z. ■ MELBOURNE, Aug. 19. The following are to-day's quotations on the Melbourne produce market: — Wheat.— Quiet and steady; sellers few at 5s to 5s 9*d. Flour.—£l3 5s to £l3 10s.' Bran.—£7. Pollard. —£7 10s. Oats:—Milling, 4s 7d to 4s 8d; feed, 4s 4d to 4s sd. Barley.—English, 4s 5d to 4s 6d; Cape, 4s. Potatoes. —£8 to £9. Onions. —£4 5s to £4 10s. STOCK SALES. FEILDING. [BY telegraph.— press association.] FEILDING. Friday. The Feilding stock sale was held to-day in showery weather, which did not P a large attendance of buyers. The fat pens contained about 350 ewes. Wethers of pood quality all through met a spirited demand. Prices were very firm at late rates, thd biggest price for fat wethers being 46s 6d, for I'2 very sheep. A line of prime ewes reached 30s "a. and a small ; number of woolly, .fat hoggets, 43s 6d. Store sheep were in short supplj. JNo breeding ewes were offered. Some hoggets sold at late rates. The following prices were realised: — , . Fat Sheep.—Lambs: 20s. 21s 7d, 2-s sd, 23s 6d, 2-is 3d, 24s Bd. 255, 26s 6d to 29s 3d; small fat two-tooths, 275; fat wethers 38s, 373 4d. 39s 2d, 40s to 46s 6d: fat ewes, -Is lOd, 27s 9d. 28s 3d. 2Ss sd, 29s 6d, 30s Id to 30s 7d; black face hoggets, lbs 7d, 18s Sd Sto°re l9 Sheep.-Two-tooth 25s 6d to 30s; small ewe hoggets 23s 6d, 24s Id to 05s; wether hoggets, 19s 9d, 21s -d to -3s 9d; fat forward ewes, 19s 3d to 20s Id. A feature of the cattle yarding was thiee larse pens of forward bullocks, which sold well. The prices were very satisfactory to the vendors. A large yardmg of dairy cattle was offered, of fair to good quality, and sold well up to prices lately realised at clearing sales. Springing heifers made 5s £5 10s, £5 15s. £6 lis to AS l«s 6d, heifer's at drop. £8 10s and £9 lOs. springcows, £3 ss, £4 15s. £o 15s, £7 10s, £S, £3 5s to £lO ss; weaner Jersey heifeis, £3 13s 6d, £4 8s to £5; mixed weaners. £2 14s to £3 2s fid; yearling Jersey heifers, ±5 PA. yearling steers, £4; stoimn cows £2 fid £° 10s £2 16s to £3 Bs: station heifers £3 15s to £4 10s; ,3 and 4-year Hereford bullocks, £8 to £S lis; 3 and 4year P.A. bullocks. £8 to £0 as 6d; medium rate cows. £3 15s £4 to £5 2s Cd; fat hiefers, £4 ss; fat bullocks, Hereford, £9 os to £lO 2s. MATAMATA.. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] MATAMATA. Friday. At Dalgety and Co., Ltd.'s, Matamata sale the following prices were realised Fnt cows, £5 5s to £8 10s; forward conditioned cows, £3 10s to £4 7s; stores 30s to 455; 18-month Shorthorn heifers, £3 12s 6d to £4; dairy cows, £6 to £l2 10s: dairy heifers. £8 ios to £lO ss. Sheep: Ewes-in I lamb, 30s. Pigs: Porkers, £2 5s to £2 7s 6d; torwurd store pigs, £2 Is to £2 4s lid; others. 30s to 395; slips, £1 5s to £1 8s tSd: best ' weaners, £1 to £1 7s; others, 16s to 18s-