The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-09-09
Manufacturers Throughout
the Country Want the
Stamping Laws Made
More Even.
BILL FOR NEXT SESSION
UNITED STATES CANNOT PRO
HIBIT THE MAKING OF POOR
GOODS, But MAY PREVENT
FALSE MARKING.


a movement which is being agitated to
make more equal the effects of the gold
and silver stamping laws, which are now
on the statute books of many of the
States in this country. 1t is proposed TO
obtain from Congress this winter the en-
actment of national law forbidding the
traffic in interstate commerce of articles
of gold and silver which are improperly
marked. Owing to the failure to obtain
similar and suitable national legislation
last year, a demand for it has since
grown in every section of the country
and in all branches of the jewelry and
silverware trades This sentiment has
been taken up by the jewelers. Circular
Weekly, and under its direction care
fully prepared bill has been made ready
for presentation at the fall session OF
Congress, the while subject being covered
as thoroughly as possible and in the in
terests of the trade at large
1t provides that it shall be unlawful
for any person. firm, corporation or as
sociation, being manufacturer of or
wholesale dealer in goldware or silver
ware, or for any officer, manager direc-
tor or agent of such corporation or asso-
citation, to bring or cause to be brought
within the United States from abroad
for the purpose of disposing of the same.
or to deposit or cause to be deposited or
carried in the United States mails, or 10
deliver or cause to be delivered to any
common carrier for carriage from cne
state, territory or possession of the
United States, or the District of Colum-
bia, to any other state or TO
said district, in interstate commerce. or
to carry or cause to be carried from
one state to any other state
in interstate commerce any arr
tcle of merchandise constructed in whole
or in part of gold or silver, or ofNany
alloy of either of said metals. and haN
ing stamped, branded, engraved or
printed thereon, or upon any tag or label
attached thereto, or upon any box, pack
age cover or wrapper in which such ar
+;cla ;S oncaSod or doSi0nnd or ;ntandad
to indicate that the gold. silver or alloy
of either of said metals, in such article
is of a greater degree of fneness than
the actual quality of fneness of such
gold. silver or alloy. according to the
standards and definitions and subject to
the qualifications set forth in the other
sections of the act.
1t is also provided in the bill that in
the case of articles of merchandise con
structed in whole or in part of gold, or
of any of alloys so brought from abroad,
or so deposited in the United States
mails, or so delivered for carriage to any
common carrier, or so carried or caused
to be carried, the actual fineness of such
gold or alloys shall not be less by more
than one-half karat than the fineness in
dicated by the marks stamped :
upon such article Further,
it is provided that in the case of articles
of merchandise constructed in whole or
in part of silver or any Of its alloys
no such article, or tag, or label
attached thereto shall be
stamped with the word
sterling or sterling silver" or any
colorado imitation thereof. unless
925-1 900 of each Of the component parts
of the silver or of the alloy thereof, Of
which the article. is wholly or partly
composed are pure silver, and no such
article shall be stamped with
the words coin" or coin silver" or
any colorado imitation thereof unless
9UO-l, ,0OU OF its component parts
are pure silver, provided that
there shall be allowed a divergence in
hneness Of 100000 from the foregoing
standards for deterioration due to solder
or Other necessary constituents used in
the manufacture or construction of the
article.
By the expression articles Of mer-
chandise," as used in the bill, it is set
forth, shall be meant any goods, wares.
works pf art, commodity, or other thing
which may be lawfully kept or offered
for sale. The expression Wholesale
dealer it is explained, shall signify any
dealer who customarily sells goods IN
quantity to Qther dealers, to be resola