WATCHES, if made of gold or silver can only be dealt in by traders who hold an EXCISE licence. In the application of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1888, to watches and watch-cases, the term " watch " is defined as mean ing "all that portion of a watch which is not the watch-case." Section 7 of the Act enacts that where a watch-case has thereon any words or marks which constitute, or are by common repute considered as constituting, a description of the country in which the watch was made, and the watch bears no description of the country where it was made, those words or marks are primii fade a description of that country within the meaning of the Act. And the provisions of the Act with respect to goods to which a false trade description has been applied will apply accordingly. So also will they with respect to selling or exposing for, or having in possession for sale; or any purpose of trade or manufacture. Upon bringing a watch-case for assay stamping or marking, a declaration is required as to the place in which the case was made. If that place is outside the United Kingdom, the Assay Office will mark the case in such a manner as to distinguish it from the home-made article.
supply of water to private consumers is undertaken either by private companies or by local authorities, and both the companies and the authorities always enjoy a certain monopoly in the districts they are empowered to serve. The companies are incorporated, and the authorities are empowered by private or local Acts of Parliament, and it is to the appropriate Act that reference must be made in order to discover the rights and liabilities of any particular water authority. As a rule, however, the general provisions of the Waterworks Clauses Acts, 1847-63, are incorporated in the special Act, and even where this is not so, the provisions in the special Act which are of par ticular interest to the public are usually to the same effect as those in the Clauses Acts.• The provisions in these last-named Acts will accordingly be noticed in this article, as well as certain of those in the Water Companies (Regulation of Powers) Act, 1887.
Water supply of water to the public is paid for by means of a rate levied on the occupier of the premises supplied, upon the basis of the annual value of the premises [see RATING]. But the owner is rated in respect of a house not exceeding R10 in annual value, though he is not liable for payment whilst the house is unoccupied, notwithstanding that water is being supplied through its pipes (British Empire Mutual Life Assurance Society v. Southwark Water Co.). " Annual value" is arrived at by de ducting from the rent the cost of repairs, insurance, and other necessary expenses (Dobbs v. Grand Junction Waterworks Co.). Water rates are generally payable in advance at Christmas Day, Lady Day, Midsummer Day, and Michaelmas. In default of due payment the water authority can cut off the pipe to the property and recover the rate due, if less than £20, together with the costs of cutting-off and of the recovery, by civil pro cess before the magistrates, followed, if not paid within seven days after demand, by distress. But water cannot be cut off a dwelling-house occupied as a separate tenement where the rate is payable by the owner—it becomes a charge on the house, taking priority of all others. If, however, the tenant is holding over after notice to quit, the water can be cut off by the company on the direction of the landlord (Chelsea Waterworks Co. v. Paulet). Legal proceedings cannot be taken against the occupier until after notice left at his dwelling-house, to pay the amount of rent then or thereafter due, and no greater sum is recoverable than the rent owing or accrued due after notice. The person who is aggrieved by a water company wrongfully cutting off the supply is entitled to proceed before the magistrate and obtain, for his own benefit, a penalty of .E5. Proceedings before magistrates for the recovery of a water rate must be taken within six months from the date at which it accrued due (East London Waterworks v. Charles).