§ MR. NORMAN (Wolverhampton, S.)To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state what contracts for agricultural implements and machinery have been given out by the Imperial authorities at Pretoria, and what proportion of them have gone to the United Kingdom and foreign countries respectively.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain.) I have communicated with Lord Milner by telegraph, and he informs me as follows:—"Your telegram of 14th March, No. 2. The following orders have been placed outside South Africa: One set of steam ploughing tackle, ploughs, and harrows; Fowler, Leeds. Implements experiment farm, Ransoms, Sims, and Jetferies, J. and F. Howard, and others, England; Massy Harris and Company, Canada; 15,000 harrows, Crown agents." The order for the 15,000 harrows was of great urgency, and, in order to secure prompt deli very, about one-half of the order was placed with British manufacturers, about one-quarter with a Canadian firm, and the remaining quarter with an American firm.