A GROWING TRADE IN STOLEN GOODS.
WE are sorry to have occasion to point out a very serious evil that is growing up amongst the commercial community—an evil that all engaged in trade ought to unite in putting down. We allude to the custom of buying manufactured goods of persons who are not legitimately in a position to offer such goods for sale—such as journeymen weavers, and petty manufacturers. " If there were no receivers, there would be no thieves." While certain firms engaged in different branches of trade, are very strict in their dealings, and make no purchases unless satisfied they can do so honourably, there are unfortunately a few others unable to resist the temptation of a little extra gain, who scruple not to buy goods which they are well aware cannot fairly be produced for the money they give. They accept the plausible reason in- variably furnished upon these occasions, that the party selling has need of money, and must realize at a sacrifice ; although they may be tolerably sure that the material forming the commodity has been stolen,
This practice is carried on to a great extent in many branches of manufacture, and we could name several, in some of which it is extremely difficult for the party victimized to detect the fraud that has been practised on him. In the Nottingham trade there are such articles as plated under-shirts, gloves, &c.,—goods which have a silk face and a cotton back. The raw material in the first instance is weighed out to the weaver, and upon its return the manufactured article is again put into the scale. Now if a certain amount of silk has been abstracted, and the same weight of cotton substituted, the fraud is very hard to detect ; but there is so much quality taken out of the article, by which the customer suffers. This of course refers to out-door work ; but in the cotton mills of Lancashire, the factory hands steal the raw ma- terial, and it is common to take it off the persons of the weavers. In Coventry entry the same practice is carried on with the more costly material, silk ; and a good sharp forewoman in a factory, who searches under the dresses of the women engaged in it, often finds silk concealed there, which otherwise would be lost to the pro- prietor.
In many instances, with better wages, these temptations to dishonesty would no doubt decrease ; but in this keen age of oom- petition everything is screwed down to the lowest pitch ; and it is only by resolutely refusing to purchase goods which on their very face bear unmistakeably the impress of fraud, that this atrocious system can be successfully combated. It would be well if all the respectable firms in branches of manufacture that are subject to these depre ations would unite together, in order to bring to light, and if unable to punish, at least to expose, those who are willing to purchase goods which their business knowledge must tell them are not honestly come by.
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