§ MR. COBB (Warwick, S.E., Rugby)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that a large number of tenant farmers supplying milk to the London market suffer substantial loss in consequence of there being no official standard measure of the milk churn; whether he is aware that it is recognised by many London milk dealers that the proper measure of a churn is 8 barn gallons of 16 pints to the gallon, but that, notwithstanding this, a large number of London milk dealers require the delivery of 17 pints to the barn gallon, and supply ehurns which, in addition to this excessive quantity, hold 3 and often 4 pints more, thus entailing a loss to the farmer of 12 pints in a churn, or nearly 10 per cent.; whether, with a view of remedying this, he will push on the communications which are now in progress between the Standards Department and the Local Authorities as to the inspection, verification, and stamping of milk churns, and as to limiting the amount of error or variation which may be permitted; and whether he can name any period within which he expects the arrangements will be completed?
§ *THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Sir M. HICKS BEACH,) Bristol, W.I am not aware that the custom of trade in London entails so serious a loss on farmers as is stated in the hon. Member's question; but the 1863 Standards Department will in the course of next month issue to the local Inspectors instructions for the verification and stamping of milk churns of the various capacities now in use, so as to show the capacity of each, and it will, therefore, not be necessary to have a particular standard denominated a "churn."