§ SIR JOHN KINLOCH (Perth, E.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture if he is aware that no notice of weights and prices per live cwt. of fat cattle and sheep sold in Glasgow Cattle Market appears in the Board of Agriculture's quarterly report of prices of live stock; whether he receives weekly returns from Glasgow in terms of Section 3 of The Markets and Fairs Act, 1891; whether he is aware that there is insufficient pen accommodation at Glasgow for weighing a large number of cattle and sheep, and if he 356 can state what number of pens for weighing accommodation are provided at Glasgow, and how many at Dundee; whether he can give the percentage of cattle within the market weighed last month at Dundee and at Glasgow; and whether the Dundee weigh-bridge has a dial or steelyard arrangement, and how many seconds it takes to weigh each bullock at Dundee and Glasgow respectively?
§ *THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. HERBERT GARDNER, Essex, Saffron Walden)We receive from Glasgow the weekly returns required by the Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Act 1891, but the number of cases in which cattle are weighed in that city is too small to justify their being used to show the course of prices. I understand there is but one suitable pen available in connection with the weighing machine at Glasgow, and I am in communication with the market authority with a view to secure increased accommodation there. I cannot exactly state the number of pens at Dundee, inasmuch as they are apparently varied from time to time according to the requirements of the trade. The percentage of cattle within the market weighed last month was 55 per cent. at Dundee, and 1.1 per cent. at Glasgow. The weighing machines at both places are fitted with steelyards, and I am informed that it takes about 20 seconds to weigh a bullock at Dundee. I regret that I am not able to give the corresponding figure for Glasgow.