The sun., 1898-01-09
American Hams in q London Police
Court.


A case which occupied the attention Of
the Marlborough Street Police Court Of
London. England, during last month has
particular interest for the American hog
raising industry.
The establishment known as the Junior
Army and Navy Stores, in the persons Of
several Of its employees, was summoned
before the Magistrate of that court on
charge Of applying and causing to be ap.
piled false descriptions to certain goods.
These goods were hams of American origin,
which, described as American hams, would
not sell in the Stores for more than II
cents q pound, but when described by the
statesmen of the Stores as Irish, were
sold for 81 cents. This trick was justified
on the grounds "that the British public
would buy anything, and could not dis
tinguish between American and other
hams" This is probably true, and true
not only of hams.
Ohe of the witnesses in this interesting
case stated that the establishment some-
times went even further than calling the
American hams Irish. 1t actually promoted
the smaller and darker hams to the dignity
of English Wiltshires, which were sold at
"a cents pound. The method of CONVEX
aion from the 17-cent American to the "a
cent Wiltshire was by process technically
termed "faking." A suitable ham was
warmed over a gas jeh II necessary, and
rubbed with a greasy hand or an oily rag
over the back to give 1t the desired Wilt
shire appearance, and then palmed OFF on
the trustful British public rs native grown.
Another witness stated that they had
been warned to be discerning in their GUS
toners, as there had been some stir In Ire
land about the discovery that the Stores
sold more Irish hams than they were known
toAave bought, and had been detected in
charging 20 cents a pound to customers
who had asked for some very special brand.
The same witness stated that they were in
the habit of sending American hams to
France, but as there was lower duty on
English hams going into that country they
always described them as British. Other
deceptions ON customers were described,
among them the making of Irish butter out
of Colonial and Danish. One of the in
ducements to the statesmen to pass off Amer.
lean hams under other names at higher
price was commission or two cents ham.
The trial of this case lasted several days.
1t was shown that the same tricks were
played with Canadian hams. The knowl.
edge that such practices existed led the
Canadian Government to start Canadian
Store In London, which was made the sub
ject of carcature in Punch.
1t is not to be expected that our Govern
ment will follow the example of the Cana
dians, but the practices divulged In the
evidence given in the London police court
certainly call for some action on the part Of
the American exporters to protect their
own interests and those of the farmers who
raise the hogs. II an American ham is
good enough to be sold as Irish or Wilt
shire at an advance of 25 and so per cent.
on its retail price as an American article.
measures should be adopted to secure that
difference to our own people instead of let
ting 1t go into the pockets of the dishonest
English retailers. There is. however, ono
thing our Government might do. 1t might
induce the French Government to require
Of English exporters of hams certificates of
origin. This would not, 1t is true, put the
difference Of duty into American pockets,
but 1t would preserve 1t from the English
"fakirs"