The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-27
NEW HAVEN MAN PRESIDES
Ar 4 NATIoNAL CONTENTION or
Leading JEWELERS.,

'hc EASTERN SthlesN DelN az
Fifth Avenue Hotel, New Yorl<-The Ad-
dress of General George II. Ford to the
Convention-An Important Association
Proposed to Correct Trade Evils.
Below is given very able and prac-
teal address delivered by our towns
man, General George H. Ford, at
large and influential convention OF
jewelers. representing leading interests
in business in the New England and
eastern states generally, The conVen-
ton was held at the Fifth Avenue
hotel, New York. The object of the
assembly was to form a powerful ma
tional organization, whose aim should
be to secure national legislation to
remedy various evils which work to the
injury of the trade and the public
General Ford, who is one of the lead
ers in the movement, was chosen to
preside over the convention and upon
his taking the chair after the delivery
of his address a general discussion fol-
lowed and steps were taken to form
starts under highly favorable auspices
with the prospect of being a powerful
agency in behalf of the reforms sought
for General Ford's address, which we
find in full in the trade papers, was as
follows:
GENERAL FORD'S ADDRESS.
This subject, gentlemen, of trade
abuses and of fraud and deception in
the manufacture and sale of gold and
silver is not a new one. Older nations
struggled with it in times past, until
the honorable manufacturers and deal
ers among the gold and silver smiths
gave it their consideration, nodded sem
timent and secured legislation to pro-
tect the public against fraud and de-
ception and achieved a result to which
we, as members of the craft, may be
proud to refer.
In England an article stamped gold"
or silver" must be stamped its actual
quality. In fact, in England, France,
Germany and Switzerland, every arti-
Gle Of gold or silver sold as genuine
must be stamped and must not be less
in grade than the stamp it bears; and
the penalty attached to the violation of
the law is so heavy and it is enforced
so strictly that instances of its VIOLA
ton are almost unknown.
AS early as AID. 1898, according to
"Chaffer's Hall Marks of Gold and Sill
yer Plate the first recorded attempt
was made to reduce goldsmiths work
to certain standard in consequence of
the frauds which had been practiced on
the people. At the time it was stated
TO-. a>,,I, r~n1l 90 i..fo ,;n,,
quality substituted for the genuine, but
articles made of latten were gilt and
palmed off for gold; pewter was sill
vered and sold as genuine metal, and
the jewelers. and silversmiths of Lon
don convened (perhaps their first gath
ering was of much less Importance than
our gathering to-day with view of
discussing an organization and asking
for legislation that would enable them
to certify to the purchaser the purity
of metals and to protect the people
against fraudulent pieces. According
to the records their success was not
assured by one gathering, for again in
1900 they asked for further legislation
and for heavier penalties.
In 1927 the first charter to the Silver
smiths Company was granted. At that
period their greatest opposition was
from the manufacturers known as cut
lers
In 1863 they asked for further legis-
lation, requesting that every goldsmith
should have a mark or initial, that the
products of the different manufactur-
ers might be identified.
Again in 1903 they recited that "many
fraudulent artifcers do continue to
make articles like to gold and silver to
the great deceit, loss and hindrance Of
the common people"
In 1904 they again recited that per
sonssin different parts of the country do
yer worse than standard, and that due
punishment is seldom executed out of
London"
In 1897 information was lodged
against goldsmiths for fraud, for maxi
ing articles worse than her majesty S
standard They were convicted and
sentenced to stand in the pillory at
Westminster, with their ears nailed
thereto, with papers above their heads
stating their offence to be for making
false and counterfeiting the assays
mark.
Not until 1865 appears the last seri-
} GUS complaint, when commissioners
We're appointed at York, Exeter, New
castle and Bristol
The Hall Mark of English silver has
become the standard of the world
You will pardon these few statistics.
They are only referred to to assure you
that in England it was between 400 and
500 years from the organization of the
first company for the purpose of resist
ing these frauds that complete rem
edy seemed to be obtained.
While it may be said that it is the
peoples lookout If they are so foolish as
Z to be cheated and deceived, it is the
I disposition of all to buy where they can
buy the cheapest. Prices can be com
pared and carried in ones mind. but Of
quality the public know nothing except
As they read or are told. and type is
always more impressive than voice,
The conditions that confront us to-
day as members of the trade, notwith-
standing the statutes in some states
are that the market is flooded with
spurious articles, copies of genuine, Gre
ating a competition that is unfair to
Z honest dealers: department stores EN-
ploy cheap and ignorant salespeople
who are unfamiliar with the quality OF