§ MR. BOWERMAN (Deptford)I beg to ask the President of, the Board of Trade whether his attention, has been called to the fact that in 1907, 93,410 less cattle than in 1905 were imported for slaughter into Great Britain from North America, and 20,824 less during the four months ended 30th April, 1908, compared with the same period in 1907; whether he is aware that consequently the supply of hides and offals of freshly-slaughtered animals used as raw material in many manufactures has very seriously decreased, to the detriment of British trade, to the loss of work and wages of thousands of British workmen, and to the rise in prices to the consumer of all commodities affected; and whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the remedies for increasing the supplies of hides, offals, and freshly-killed meat of imported foreign animals, with especial reference to the plan for establishing a foreign animals wharf and abattoir in the Island of Alderney, and to the advisability of relaxing the restrictions now placed on the landing at the foreign animals wharves at Deptford and Birkenhead of all animals except those from North America.
§ THE TREASURER OF THE HOUSEHOLD (Sir EDWARD STRACHEY,) Somersetshire, S.My right hon. friend has asked me to reply to this question. We are aware of the decrease in the importation of cattle from North America in 1907 as compared with 1905. On the other hand there has been an increase in the quantity of hides imported in 1907 as compared with 1905 by some 92,000 cwts. As regards prices we have no statistics, but we understand that the price of hides has declined considerably during the last four months. No special inquiry into these questions appears to be necessary.