§ MR. LAWRENCE (Liverpool, Abercromby)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the losses of cattle from the Argentines 650 amount to 80 per 1,000, as compared with 8 and 3 per 1,000 from Canada and the United States; whether there has been any improvement in the carriage of Argentine cattle to this country since the issue of the Report of the Board of Agriculture, 1896; and whether he can state if he is taking any or what steps to see that properly appointed ships are used in the service?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTUREThe losses of cattle shipped from Argentine, Canada, and the United States during 1897 were substantially those stated in the Question. During the first six months of the present year the losses in the Argentine trade have been at the rate of 67 per 1,000, a figure which indicates that some improvement in the position has recently taken place. The vessels engaged in the trade are continuously under inspection, and we have in several instances prohibited the carriage of animals by ships which in our judgment were unsuitable for the purpose. We shall continue to keep the matter steadily in view, for, in my opinion, the trade cannot be said as yet to be on a satisfactory footing.