Warning to Birmingham Gun-Makers.
The Birmingham gun-makers
have been seriously disturbed by an order by the Chief Constabulary of the City calling attention to the fact that
certain parts of Ireland
are proclaimed, and that the Peace Preservation Act makes it an offence for any
unlicensed person to possess arms or ammunition. Gun- maker’s are officially
requested not to supply arms or ammunition to persons in the proclaimed
districts unless they have licenses. The Birmingham
gun-manufacturers maintain that as long as they fall in with the Custom House
regulations and declare that they are forwarding weapons and cartridges to Ireland the
Royal Constabulary must ascertain whether or not the purchaser has a license.
The trade complain of the legislative restrictions which shut out English trade
and allow foreign competitors to carry on business. It is pointed out that if
Birmingham gun-makers are to go through the form of cross-questioning every
customer the inevitable result will be that the gun trade of Ireland will be
transferred to Belgium, where the gun-makers executing orders will merely be
required by the home Government to acquaint the Customs authorities with the
fact that they are sending arms. At present it is estimated 100 Birmingham gun-makers are doing trade with Ireland, and
any efforts to divert the business will be severely felt.
Belfast Newsletter 27th October 1912.
Information courtesy of The British Newspaper Archive.
Dave Stroud.
ramrodantiques.co.uk
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