185.  The lace trade affords other examples; and, in enquiring into the complaints made to the House of Commons by the framework knitters, the committee observe, that, “It is singular that the grievance most complained of one hundred and fifty years ago, should, in the present improved state of the trade, be the same grievance which is now most complained of:  for it appears, by the evidence given before your committee, that all the witnesses attribute the decay of the trade more to the making of fraudulent and bad articles, than to the war, or to any other cause.”  And it is shewn by the evidence, that a kind of lace called “single-press” was manufactured, which, although good to the eye, became nearly spoiled in washing by the slipping of the threads; that not one person in a thousand could distinguish the difference between “single-press” and “double-press” lace; and that, even workmen and manufacturers were obliged to employ a magnifying glass for that purpose; and that, in another similar article, called “warp lace,” such aid was essential.  It was also stated by one witness, that

“The trade had not yet ceased, excepting in those places where the fraud had been discovered; and from those places no orders are now sent for any sort of Nottingham lace, the credit being totally ruined.”

186.  In the stocking trade similar frauds have been practised.  It appeared in evidence, that stockings were made of uniform width from the knee down to the ankle, and being wetted and stretched on frames at the calf, they retained their shape when dry, but that the purchaser could not discover the fraud until, after the first washing, the stockings hung like bags about his ankles.

187.  In the watch trade the practice of deceit, in forging the marks and names of respectable makers, has been carried to a great extent both by natives and foreigners; and the effect upon our export trade has been most injurious, as the following extract from the evidence before a committee of the House of Commons will prove:—­

“Question.  How long have you been in the trade?  Answer.  Nearly thirty years.  Question.  The trade is at present much depressed?  Answer.  Yes, sadly.  Question.  What is your opinion of the cause of that distress?  Answer.  I think it is owing to a number of watches that have been made so exceedingly bad that they will hardly look at them in the foreign markets; all with a handsome outside show, and the works hardly fit for anything.  Question.  Do you mean to say, that all the watches made in this country are of that description?  Answer.  No; only a number which are made up by some of the Jews, and other low manufacturers.  I recollect something of the sort years ago, of a falloff of the East India work, owing to there being a number of handsome-looking watches sent out, for instance, with hands on and figures, as if they shewed seconds, and had not any work regular to shew the seconds:  the hand went round, but it was not regular.  Question.  They had no perfect movements?  Answer.  No, they had not; that was a long time since, and we had not any East India work for a long time afterwards.”