Patent Medicine Regulations.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7823, 16 May 1905, Page 3

Patent Medicine Regulations.

SYDNEY PKOTESTS. i (Received May 15, 9.10 p.m.) BE SYDNEY, Alay 13. A meeting' of the Manufacturing "■sjO Chemists aud Proprietors' Associatiou, ' including representatives of I'.', English, American, and Cana- \ dian proprietaries, was held to pro ;s ' test against the revised regulations ra- issued by the New Zealand GovernEel' meat in regard to jjatent and proijsi- prietary articles. A resolution was BjK Adopted to the effect that the modiSp- fied regulations concerning patent tjfc medicines in New Zealand will tend to lessen the amount of business i done by residents of New South t'i Wales with New Zealand, awl that J' the meeting was against the same coming into force.

The speakers considered the reflations would have a serious effect on the business, which was built up at a groat cost, and contended that although the regulations were apparcntly directed against certain socalled patent medicines which were thought to be injurious to the community they will affect registered and proprietary rights throughout. The chief opposition was to tile clause relating to submitting the formula of proprietary articles to an official of the Health Department, the contention ber'ng that it would thereby become public property. Stress was laid on the loss of trade that would result to New Zealand, and the inconvenience to people who pinned their faith on reputable patent -medicines, and the loss to newspapers through the necessary withdrawal of advertising. It'was announced that almost, every manufacturing firm in England and America had been communicated iWith. Letters of protest were produced from large English and American proprietaries, and the representatives of some of these lirms stated that they here advised that if the regulations were put into force their "principals would withdraw from New Zealand, and advertising would have to cease. One of the speakt-rs said h : s firm objected to being dictated to. They would not trust the formula to any Minister. Manufacturers in all parts of the world saw that the trade was not big enough for them to take the risk, for there was a risk of the exposure of the formula. Some speakers, viewing wider grounds, expressed the opinion that the time was inopportune for New Zealand to adopt such legislation just when efforts were being made to ' extend the reciprocity of trade with Australia and America. Mr LarV'-e, Canadian Commissioner, who was present in an unofficial capacity, suggested approaching the New Zealand Government with a View to getting a change of policy, so that while protecting the people 1 it would not destroy the proprietary medicine business. The resolution passed will be forwarded to the New Zealand Government.