§ MR. COURTHOPETo ask the President of the Board of Trade, whether he is aware that a syndicate of hop 178 growers has been formed on the Pacific coast of America with the object of destroying the British hop industry, and that this fact is seriously accelerating the grubbing of hops in this country, and is thereby causing the loss of employment to many thousands of persons; and whether, pending the Report of the Select Committee on the Hop Industry, he will take steps temporarily to safeguard British hop growers against the action of this syndicate.
(Answered by Mr. Kearley.) The Board of Trade have received a Report from His Majesty's consul at Portland, Oregon, to the effect that an attempt is being made to form an association whose operations would include the exportation of hops from the Pacific Coast to the United Kingdom, but I have not yet heard that such an association has been actually formed. I understand that, generally speaking, such hops are not so suitable for making beer as the British, as the flavouring quality is inferior, and a larger quantity is required of these American hops to bring the flavouring power up to that of the British.