The Dominion. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1912. AN EMPIRE TRADE-MARK.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1610, 29 November 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1912. AN EMPIRE TRADE-MARK.

A Movement which appears to .be making some progress is that which was originated by the British Empire League some two or three years ago for the establishing of a British Empire Trade-mark. An association has since been formed, with a provisional Council which includes the High Commissioners of the four oversea Dominions, the Agents-Gen-eral, Chambers of Commerce,. and leading commercial firms in its representation. There are phases of the movement, each of which has its special importance, namely, the desire for some means of protecting the purchaser against the sale of articles of foreign manufacture, allegedly, or ostensibly, of British make, and the stimulating of an Imperial sen-' timent in favour of the British article as British. Many supporters of the movement have oeen influenced by the steadily-growing revulsion, of feeling against the "shoddy" article which, in these days, has an appearance of quality and finish that deceives the eye, and commands a price freatly in cxccss of its actual value, he Hon. F. M. B. Fisher (Minister of Customs), has already declared his intention of pursuing an active campaign against the "shoddy" article, so far as New Zealand is concerned, while in London the first meeting ot the Provisional Council of the British Empire Trade-mark Association has been held and the Imperial Eoyal Commission requested to receive a deputation to furnish evidence of the advantages to be derived from the institution of . the proposed trademark. Lokd.Strathcona (High Commissioner for Canada) pointed out that the mark would be purely one of' origin, not of quality, and its use would not be compulsory. Its objects were: (1) To provide a simple, practical, and definite means of identification of British goods which would show clearly the' particular part of the Empire in which the goods were manufactured or produced—Canada, Australia, Scotland, and so on; (2) to provide a mark which, being placed beside a private trade-mark, would render it more difficult and dangerous for the fraudulent imitation of such trade-mark in foreign countries; (3) to encourage and stimulate the demand for British goods.'. At present, as Lord Strathcona pointed out—and hero he was merely emphasising what has been perfectly obvious for a -long time past—it is practically impossible for the consumer clearly to identify goods produced within the British Empire; and it is notorious that goods are sold and resold as British which are of foreign origin. It was generally recognised, he said, that the British public would, on their merits,' give a common-sense preference to British goods over pimilar competing foreign goods, and it was absolutely necessary to afford such buyers definite information, by means of.such a mark as was proposed, before they would be able to give full' effect to this preference. The London Times, in a commendatory review of the proposal, observes th&t there is, manifestly, a real desire for something in the nature of tho Association's proposals, and a widespread belief that they are feasible. The British world, the article concludes, "has a homely sentiment, for its own kind, and we have little doubt that it will prove its preference for the'products of British labour in greatly-increased support, if its instincts can be guarded against fraudulent exploitation and diverted to genuine''British goods. That is not to'say that the price and quality—and probably price a long way first—will not remain the guiding factors in the ordinary purchaser's choice, but, other things being equal, most-British purchasers are glad to give their custom to genuine British goods. The Empire Trade-mark Association will do us all a valuable service if _it makes this wholesome instinct a little easier to indulgc."_