WARNING TO TRADERS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17472, 5 June 1922, Page 8

WARNING TO TRADERS.

"DEUBEBATS CHEATING" TO BE STOPPED. A summons under sub-section 2 of section 82 of the Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1908, which ChiefDetective Kemp described as the first prosecution of its kind, was brought against Theresa Sternberg, a secondhand dealer, before Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Wellington Magistrate's Court on Friday. The charge was that the defendant, on May 22nd last, sold to one John Thompson a brass watch-chain, to which was applied a false trade description. Chief-Detective Kemp, in outlining the case, said that the defendant, on April 18th, had bought a chain, to which was attached a sovereign, for £l. The chain weighed 2joz. and was marked on each link 18ct. The defendant placed tlie chain in the window, marked, "A Bargain. Solid Gold Chain. 18ct., weight 2}oz." Thompson had seen the notice, and on May 22nd had purchased the chain for £ll. The receipt given by the defendant described the chain as 18ct. The • purchaser had taken the chain to a jeweller to have it tested, and discovered that instead of being solid gold it was solid brass. The prosecution had been brought to let traders know that all goods sold musi; be according to description. Heavy penalties were provided for breaches of the particular sections of the Act. The defendant had handed the £ll over to the police. She was a second-hand dealer in a small wav of business. His Worship: This is a false trade description, and is deliberate cheating. A of 40s was inflicted, and the chain was ordered to be forfeited.

GERMANS SEEKING TRADE. AGENTS IN AUSTRALIA. (By Cable—Press Association—Oopyriglkt.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) SYDNEY, June 3. According to the "Daily Telegraph," representatives of German manufacturers are busy seeking to place orders, but- are generally having a somewhat freezing reception. Many business houses are disinclined to retart handling German good, tiiough they admit that if they come on the market they may be forced to stock them. A German "bagman," seeking trade with one firm, said the prices spoke for themselves. Others were buying the goods, and the firm would find itself compelled to do the same. The opinion has been expressed in some quarters that the goods, if they do come, will not be so cheap as lias been anticipated, while others believe that German manufacturers will be prepared to work for a year or two without profit, for the purpose of getting back on to the market.

KAURI GUM. Hi'i'imr. OF THE INDUSTRY. Something like a mountain of kauri gum has already boon taken out of the primeval forest lands of the Auckland Province, The industry began as far back as 1847, and the production of fossil resin up to the end .of last year totals nearly 370,000 tons, valued, in round figures, at £20,000,000. It has always been a chequered industry with a very haphazard system' of development. Too often, in addition, tne methods employed for , the ex traction of the so-called gum have been practised with a recKledS indifference to the future of the kauri timber reserves and gum-lands. Thougu the industry has always been looked upon as a vanishing enterprise, it is not likely to disappear into the mists of history for a long time yet. The mpst optimistic gum-aiggers on the Northern fields, to say nothing of the more enthusiastic owners of resin-bearing iandsj assert boldly that at least three .times twenty million pounds sterling worth has still to be recovered. Methods and Control. The future of the industry was the subject of 'investigation last by a lioyal Commission. Its findings and recommendations emphasised the need of improved methods of extraction, more efficient uicans for separating the gum from foreign matter, protection of forest reserves and lands suitable for settlement, and a uniform system of grading and control. These, necessities admittedly constitute a difficult problem. That in itself need not deter the practice of more efficient enterprise. Tiie commission found that conditions are worth a determined organised effort to place the industry in,a position more profitable than it has ever been for all the interests concerned. The average export per annujn for the last tfu yeurs has been 5386 tons, and the average value £t>3 per ton.

. in regard to grading, the Commission held the opinion tuat a standard system is not only highly, desirable, but emjdy practicable. It liacommended grading for export under.the supervision ot a Government grader, but suggested that at present there should be no inteifeience with the particular grades put up by merchants for export. The commission also recommended that the otate should not monopolise the export ot kauri gum . interesting to note that in the important matter of improving the methods of extracting the gum and preparing it for export .the commission recommended that the Government should set aside not less than £SOOO for the payment of bonuses for improvements and inventions in connexion with the kauri gum industry. Scientific Eesearch. As to the obvious advisability of esablishmg a laboratory for research in respect of kauri gu m and its products, mcluc.mg kauri peat, the commission urged the immediate establishment of, first, a special research laboratory connected with the kauri gum department, secondly, a research branch of the Dominion laboratory in Auckland; and thirdiu' . the exisiting facilities at the Auckland University College. "We are strongly of the opinion,'' declared | the commission, "that the. laboratory researches should be carried out in Auckland, and for preference at the University College,, where laboratory facilities for such research already exist. Much of the essential reference literature is in the college library, and the direction and co-operations of the staff would be available." The commission r<v commended further that a sum of £ICOO a year should be made available for research purposes on a laboratory scale, and that later the amount should b® increased to meet the cost of semi-indus-trial experiments arising from the laboratory experiments. The way to efficient enterprise in respect of a profitable development of not only the kauri gum industry itself, but also the lands from which gum has been extracted, hase been opened, but so far, responsible administrators have been laggard in taking it (says the Auckland "Herald"). The report was favourably received by Parliament last November, and many hopeful opinions 'expressed, but practical action has not yet been taken. Now that the economic tide has ! turned, the progressive spirit of the Auckland Province should not lose sight of the necessity for improving the condition of the kauri gum industry.