CO129-424 - Governor Sir May - 1915 [9-10] — Page 31

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Sir,

C.O

Enclosure 1.

The Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,

47308

MADE CO71530

New Government Building,

Des Voeux Road,

Hongkong, 15th. July, 1915.

In connection with the commencement of business on

their own account of Mr. J. H. Backhouse formerly in the employ of Messrs. Sander, Wieler and Co., and Mr. B. Webb formerly in the

employ of Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg and Company here, my Committee are in receipt of information that these gentlemen have with the

consent and approval of the German firms named, made application to

the Government to use on their own behalf certain trade-marks or

"Chops" which are either the property of their former Employers or

were used by than and became recognised by customers as German

chops.

It is obviously the object of the German firms in

grating these concesssions to Messrs. Backhouse and Webb to have

their trade-marks by this means kept alive on the China Market and

returned to them at the conclusion of hostilities, and my Committee

have the honour to submit that licences to use such trade-marks

should be refused, or if any be granted, in fairness to old

established firms in Hongkong, the marks should be open to competi-

-tion by auction or otherwise.

The argument will no doubt be advanced that should

the "Chops be allowed to die out British Manufacturers will

suffer but my Committee are confident that whilst this may be

true so far as the Manchester "Middleman" is concerned it will be

found that in nearly every case these "Middlemen" such as "Kolp

Kullman & Co","Heyn Franc & Co", "Leisler, Bock & Co", "Behrens

etc. ared of German origin and the portion of trade lost to them

will not affect the Manufacturer in the least since orders will

assuredly reach him through British sources.

My