Condrou
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
RECC
REG 14 SEP 16
pretend to posses, and I think it would
be presumptuous on our part to dietate 406 to His Majesty's Government
e reason why the German authorities e not attacked this particular form of property is that it is not to their intst to do so. And I would ask 1 subject. hon ember who proposes this resolu- tion to consider very carefully whether it might not be against our interests ta The attack man trade marks here. hon. memb referred to the case of Australia. is quite true that legis lation has been introduced and passed, in Australia which has the effect of sus- pending the use of enemy trade marks
10
the Commonwealth. Suspension, however, is a very different thing from confiscation. I think the effect of the Australian legislation is to suspend the LL& of enemy trademarks for the duration of the war, and as I have said, before, that is the position here at the present moment. Not only has this policy of confiscation of private property not been adopted in the United Kingdom, but His Majesty's Governniern Nov. ember, 1914, and again in Decemb, 1915, issued a general licence for the payment of fees on behalf of enemies for he purpose of obtaining the registration of trade marks and for the purpose of newing the registration of trade marks I would also like to point out what seems to be more or less lost sight of, and that is, the very wide distinction between trade measures which help us in the war and trade measures which are advocated as a means of avoiding German competi tion after the war, and the policy to be adopted for avoiding undesirable Ger- man dominance. There is a distinction between those things which help us in the war and those which give us help at all in that direction. measures adopted in the United Kingdom and elsewhere with regard to enemy trade are all based on the idea of endea vouring to weaken the enemy's resources during the war. The policy aimed at in this resolution will not help us in the slightest in the war and is entirely post-war measure, And the Imperial Government have so far refused to bind
no The
themselves as to their post-war trade
Cun this
I anl
HON. MR. HOLYOAK In reply to what has fallen from my learned freind the Attorney-General, I may say that
resolution
the my
was proposed in that if it were passed anticipation by the Council the inevitable corollary would be an Ordinance. The resolution is merely a
The to an end. means Attorney-General says that means have already been found for preventing the use of German trade marks in
this Colony or any imitation of them. well aware of that. A prosecution is now The Attorney-General said going on. that this was a matter which should be left to the future, and that is precisely the reply 1 expected this Government to that this question cannot be make, settled until after the war and must be left to future consideration, and I have no hesitation in saying that the future will find us in the same state of unpre- Jaredness as we were at the commencement of the war, in regard to our trade policy. ques- The Government wants to leave all tions of economic and fiscal reform until eace is declared. I contend that this is a thing which should be brought up at the present moment and be fully con- sided, and, if thought fit. legislated upon by the Imperial Government. My hope that we should be able resolution was really proposed in the force upon the Imperial authorities at Home a question which we in Hongkong con- sider to be absolutely vital to British trade.
to
HIS EXCELENCY Hit is, as the bon. member who move the resolution stated, that he did so with the idea of helping the Home Government, then I trust he will quite sympathise with the Govern- ment when they say at they cannot accept the resolution. ry hard words have been used regarding the action which the Government has indicated it
will have to take in this math, namely, policy. That being so, I think it would be very unwise for this Colony to endea to refuse the resolution, and do not vour to force their hands. In view of think that those hard words are justified when we learn what the intention of the these Imperial and international con- siderations. I think, Sir, that the Gov-hop, member who moved the resolution is. crnment cannot accept the motion. What we are asked to do is to fly in the The The question will no doubt be considered face of His Majesty's Government. in due course by minds with a fur wider question of trade marks has been brought and deeper knowledge of the facts and up by the Chamber of Commerce and the issues involved than any of us here can
views of the Chamber of Commeres have