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59
Merchandise Marks Act, 1926.
In November, 1930, a communication was received from the Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries respecting an informal conference which had recently taken place between the
Officers of the Ministry and representatives of the County Councils' Associations, and the
Association of Municipal Corporations, regarding the enforcement of the Orders in Council
made under the above Act.
The general opinion of the conference was that much of the failure on the part of the
traders to comply with the requirements was due to ignorance, and that a considerable
advantage would be gained by the wide distribution of notices, couched in simple terms,
explaining the requirements. To effect this, a suitable notice was prepared by the Ministry
with the assistance of the Federation of Grocers' Association, which leaflet, it was
suggested, might be of service to the better class of shopkeepers, and simpler form of notice
was suggested as more appropriate to small shopkeepers and street traders.
It had been our practice in Holborn, on the coming into operation of the various Orders,
to furnish to the traders concerned a simple epitome of their requirements. Again, to remind
them of their obligations in the matter, the opportunity was taken to issue to shopkeepers
and street traders the notices as suggested by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
The simpler form of notice used for small shopkeepers and street traders more
particularly was as follows: —
MARKING OF IMPORTED GOODS.
Short Notice to Traders.
Imported foodstuffs of the following kinds must, by law, be marked to show
where they came from: —
1. Fresh apples;
2. Raw tomatoes;
3. Eggs (hen or duck eggs in shell);
4. Dried eggs;
5. Currants, sultanas and raisins;
6. Oat products (oatmeal, rolled oats, oat flour, and groats);
7. Honey.
If the goods are from foreign countries, they must be marked either with the
word "Foreign" or with words which show the country from which they came,
such as "Grown in France," "Dutch Produce" or "Danish." If they are imported
from overseas parts of the Empire, they must be marked with the word "Empire" or
with the words showing the country from which they came, such as "Australian
Produce," " Grown in Guernsey " or " Canadian."
Fresh apples, raw tomatoes, loose currants, sultanas and raisins, and loose oat
products must be clearly marked with a show ticket having letters not less than half
an inch high when exposed for sale in any quantity. These goods must also be marked
when actually sold if they are sold in quantities of more than 14 lb., but when sold
in quantities of 14 lb. or less, they may be handed to the purchaser in unmarked bags.
Packages of currants, sultanas and raisins made up before reaching the retailor;
packages of dried eggs made up before reaching the retailer; containers of honey;
and packages of oat products made up before reaching the retailer, should be marked
in capital letters not less than one-twelfth of an inch in height where the longest side
of the package is not more than six inches, and not less than one-eighth of an inch
in height when the longest side is more than six inches.
Blends or mixtures of oat products, or of honey, may be marked simply "Blended
Imported."
Imported eggs must be plainly stamped on the shell of each egg in letters not less
than one-twelfth of an inch high.
This notice is intended only to give short particulars of what is required when
these goods are exposed for sale in shops, or on stalls and barrows, and when they