§ Whereupon Mr. SPEAKEER, pursuant to the Order of the House of the 12th November, proposed the Question, "That this House do now adjourn."
§ Mr. WATSON RUTHERFORDI should like to give notice that on the Motion for Adjournment to-morrow or the next earliest possible day, I shall bring forward the very serious position that has arisen in Liverpool upon the arrival of certain ships, having regard to the position of their cargoes. A very acute and difficult position has arisen. A cargo of sultana raisins from Smyrna has arrived there. The Customs have seized, for the present, the whole of that cargo, which is worth about £200,000, and they have demanded that the fruit brokers there shall give certain undertakings, which the fruit brokers do not see their way to give. Then there is a difficulty with regard to Jaffa oranges. I believe that £2,000,000 worth of Jaffa oranges have either arrived, or are on their way from Jaffa, which is in Turkish Dominions. The whole of the people in the north of England will be deprived of that very valuable food if it is not allowed to be landed in this country. It is absurd to prevent the people of our country from getting hold of any article of food they require. The only thing that ought to be done is to stop an alien enemy from getting the proceeds. I think we ought to get the oranges and not pay for them. This matter has arisen very urgently.
655 I do not desire to delay the House for the moment with regard to it, but it is a matter that will have to be gone into. I have communicated with various departments and have been passed on from one to the other. At last I am referred by the Government to the Procurator-General. As I have never heard of the Procurator-General before, I find myself in great difficulty. The Board of Trade said they had nothing to do with it. The Treasury, who will have to take the proceeds, say they are not concerned, and the Law Officers of the Crown at present do not see their way to intervene. It is a very serious matter. Shiploads of goods 656 are lying at Liverpool, some of the goods being perishable. The whole of the sultanas, some of which have been sold in advance, are badly wanted for Christmas puddings which will be eaten in this country in spite of the War. I submit that some rational course of action ought to be decided upon by the Government, therefore I give notice that at the earliest possible opportunity, on the Motion for the Adjournment, I shall again ask somebody to take some responsibility and try to get some guidance as to what ought to be done in this important matter.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Adjourned accordingly at Ten minutes before Eight o'clock.