§ MR. FIELD (, St. Patrick) DublinI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has had any communication from the German Government upon gambling in grain options; whether he will inquire into the operation of the German law prohibiting such gambling in food stuffs; and whether there is any prospect of the Continental, United States, and British Governments considering the advisability of co-operating to prevent a corner in corn being manipulated in the corn exchange markets by gamblers in futures.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI have had no communication from the German Government on this subject. Reports on the operation of the German law regulating produce exchanges have been received from time to time through His Majesty's Embassy in Berlin. The last, published in the Board of Trade", Journal for 12th April, 1900, reported the reopening of the Berlin produce exchange. I see no need for a special inquiry. So far as I am aware there is 1363 no present prospect of such action as is suggested in the last paragraph.