§ MR. MARKHAM (Nottinghamshire, Mansfield)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether any undertaking, in writing or verbally, was given by Messrs. Meyer, Weil. Tymms, Stroyan, Lewis, and Marks and Joel, that they jointly or severally would undertake with Messrs Bergl, Houlders, and Hughes to form a Company to carry out the new meat contract; whether any authority, on their behalf and with their consent, was given to His Majesty's Government in writing, if so, by whom, that these gentlemen would undertake the obligation of forming a Company in consideration of receiving the said contract; and, if no such written authority was given, who authorised the Government to put forward the names of these gentlemen as security for the efficient carrying out of the contract.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Lord STANLEY,) Lancashire, WesthoughtonThe business with regard to the formation of the Imperial Supply and Cold Storage Company was carried on by the War Office with Mr. Carl Meyer on behalf of the Company. He gave us in writing a list of the Committee who would represent the Company as Directors in London, and I gave these names to the House on the 10th February as being the names given to us in connection with the Company. Mr. Carl Meyer's authority was sufficient for this purpose. The undertaking to take over the contract was signed by Mr. Carl Meyer, Mr. S. B. Joel, and Mr. Julius Weil. No undertaking, verbally or in writing, was given us by any of the other gentlemen named.
§ MR. MARKHAMMay I ask the noble Lord whether the first contract or obligation was undertaken by Messrs. Bergl, Houlders, and Hughes, and whether that obligation was transferred on the formation of the Company; also, was the contract given to those gentlemen before the Company was formed?
§ LORD STANLEYNo, Sir. In the first instance the contract was given to Mr. Bergl, who was to form a Company. That Company was formed, but the contract was not passed over to the Company until it had been duly registered at Pretoria.
§ MR. FLYNN (Cork Co., N.)Is the office of this Company at Frankfort or Munich, or any other place on the Continent?
§ [No reply was made.]