2
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Memorandum on Counterfeit Goods sold at Dalny,
Piece-goods. Concerning these, the most important item on the list of articles imitated, it is difficult to obtain satisfactory information. A careful examination of the samples exhibited in the Commercial Museum at Dairen has failed to produce any tangible evidence of the reported counterfeiting of British "chops"; while inquiries made of the chief Chinese dealers in the town have met with the same result. Nearly every sample produced for my inspection was of undoubtedly genuine British or American manufacture. Japanese piece-goods, the merchants said, they did not deal in because their quality was so inferior. No great reliance is, however, to be placed in this assertion, as it is a well known fact, if the assertions of foreign merchants are to be credited, that the average Chinese dealer is unable to distinguish between regular foreign-made goods and Japanese counterfeits, with the result that the latter are very often foisted off on him without his being any the wiser. From one firs only, that of Shung-Ki, the biggest dealer in the port, was any information forthcoming, and all his manager could tell me was that if I wanted to see counterfeit "chops" I had better pay a visit to the Mitsui Bussan Kwaisha's agency at Mukden. At the same time he promised to make private and careful inquiry to see whether by chance some of these counterfeits might not be obtainable in Dairen itself. Any specimens forthcoming would be sent to me. In the Commercial Museum there was one sample of underwear (apparently woollen) which seemed to me to be counterfeit. The label, a big one, bore the trade-mark of a camel, and was in addition partly covered by a large triangular design in black and white of a herd of camels inside a stockaded enclosure. The museum card attached gave the name and address of the maker as "Yagi Fukumatsu, 84, Ura Machi, Tosa Bori, Nishi Ku, Osaka." The same building also contained an exhibit of muslin bearing a trade-mark of “ Leda and the Swan"; but I am not certain whether this was a counterfeit mark or not. The place of manufacture was said to be the
"Muslin Boseki Kwaisha, Nakatsu Mura, O-aza Kworitsuji, Nishinari Gori, Osaka,"
Toilet Articles, Whisky, &c.-It is among the toilet articles, whiskies, and other minor commodities that the most egregious counterfeits are to he found. In the big Japanese-Chinese bazaar, for instance, I saw, înter alia, imitations of shirt-studs, sleeve. links, &c.; but the names of the original manufacturers, whether British or American, were not copied, and the trade-marks, in most cases a horse's head, gave no clue at all as to whether the articles were direct imitations of the manufactures of specific firms, or simply ordinary pseudo-foreign goods. I am disposed to think that in a fair number of cases the latter is the correct explanation.
The
In the same place was shown me a tin of blacking bearing the legend "Mason's Original Challenge Blacking," and an old and well-known trade-mark of a negro polishing a jack-boot in one corner, a boy holding another jack-boot in the opposite corner, and a dog running out of the picture. Underneath was the registered Japanese trade-mark, an eagle bearing a scroll with the inscription Nippon Awadzu.' same words appeared again on each side of the trade-inark. Another bus of blacking prepared, so the label ran, by one "Yamamatsu, 186 and 235, N. Flank Street, Japan," had precisely the same design as that just described; but the superscription, in this case partly obliterated, ran somewhat as follows: "Masterly Blacking, Original Ofmycounth." I should also mention that in both cases there lay between the feet of the boy holding a boot a small lozenge-probably meant to represent a tin of blacking- bearing the name "Mason."
The next counterfeited article shown me was a box of " Blanco," with the words “J. Omar and Sons, best blanco, for whitening all articles of buck or buckskin, leather, and Co.," on the cover, and inside, a badly worded sheet of directions for use in English. I believe the makers of " Blanco" are a London firm named Joseph Pickering, and that the firm's name figures on each cake of the genuine composition. If my supposition is correct, all the Japanese would seem to have copied in this particular instance is the shape of the box and of its contents, and the trade name " Blanco,”
In the same stall I was shown a preparation of lime and glycerine, a most palpable imitation of an article prepared by the firm of Breidenbach and Co. in London. The only difference was the substitution in the Japanese-made article of the words *Kimmel and Co." (Rimmel and Co. ?) for Breidenbach and Co., the use of a lily instead of a violet as a trade-mark, and the misprinting of a date on a small label at the
3
back of the bottle, which, in the Japanese counterfeit, reads, "this label is issued to comply with the Food and Drugs Act, 1785," instead of "1875."
Further on in the same locality I saw a box of soap purporting to be manufactured by S. Sister and Co., but obviously a forgery. The inscription was as follows: "Koukoku Shirushi Soap. S. Sister and Co. Moske and Violete," and the coloured label on the cover bore a device of two harlequins mounted on horse-back, one blowing a trumpet and the other carrying a banner with an emblem on it of a running dog. I am not certain of the nationality of the firm just mentioned, but quite a considerable number of articles, either manufactured or purporting to be manufactured by them were on sale in various parts of the building.
A store devoted to the sale of groceries contained bottles of white pepper very clearly made in Japan, notwithstanding the fact that they bore, underneath a trade- mark of some animal lying on a daïs, the initials K. Y. and Co., Leadenhall Street.
Here, also, I noticed several bottles of a British imitation of Lea and Perrius' Worcestershire Sauce. They bore the name " Imperial Pickle Company, Govan, Glasgow," with a label having a close resemblance to the shield and mussel shells of the genuine article, and though I have no doubt that the Imperial Pickle Company have taken precautions to protect themselves against legal proceedings, there is no doubt that in a country like this, where scarcely a single person can discriminate between the two sauces, that of the Imperial Pickle Company is as much a counterfeit as anything produced by Japanese.
**
Wines and spirits are other articles which, like toilet goods, appear to exercise a great fascination over the counterfeiter. In the same bazaar were shown me, in addition to wines, on which, as they have no interest for British merchants, I do not touch, various brands of whisky, almost without exception spurious. The first sample produced purported to come from the distillery of a Glasgow firm named William Austin, and the label on the bottle bore, in addition to the letters "S.W." on gold medallions in each bottom corner, a statement to the effect that this was genuine Scotch whisky"; but the rest of the inscription was in a spelling sufficiently eccentric to justify doubt in the truth of this assertion. The price, 80 sen, was also much against any likelihood of this valuable liquor being genuine. Another bottle shown me was labelled "Glenaskfort" and bore a trade-mark of a bust of Mercury on a medallion with crossed caducea and anchor bebind. The maker's name was given as 0. Klour and Co." (J. Brown and Co. ?), of Glasgow. I saw one other counterfeit of Messrs. Brown and Co.'s manufactures, and this, if I recollect rightly, was labelled “J. Kroun and Co." Finally a small flask, clearly an imitation, was marked as coming from the firm of Thom and Cameron, of Glasgow.
The Commercial Museum, which is run more or less under official patronage and supervision, contained among its exhibits various samples of the same spirit. They were all imitations; but how close I am unable to say. Among other trade-marks I saw that of the Milkmaid" (this is a whisky sold by the American and French Wine Compauy, a concern carrying on business at Yotsu no rokuji-ichi, Kawara machi, Higashi Ku, Osaka), a nue old Highland whisky, Landscape "brand, and last but not least, an Admiral Togo" whisky coming, so the ill-spelt label assured the reader, from the firm of L. Loshuner, of Glasgow and London.
*
Inquiries at the Japanese-Chinese bazaar as to the place of origin of these varions articles failed to elicit any more satisfactory reply thau that they come from Japan not Shanghae.
In the case of articles exhibited in the Commercial Museum, the name of the seller or manufacturer of the various commodities is always mentioned.
Chinese assert that the dentifrice called "Odol" is largely imitated and sold, the old bottles being collected and used again; but I have so far found no proof that this is really the case.
H. P.
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
(Initialled)
Memorandum on Counterfeit British Goods at Dairen,
Exhibits at the Commercial Museum.--Having examined these Mr. Garner tells me that as far as the exhibits of whisky are concerned, he does not think that they are really counterfeit. He says that it is a common practice among distillers in Great Britain to manufacture for sale in foreign markets cheap brands of whisky, to which an
217