§ 8. Mr. WATTasked whether the blankets at present being purchased by his Department for the use of our soldiers at the front are made not wholly of wool but of a mixture of cotton and cheap wool or shoddy?
§ Mr. FORSTEROrders have been placed for a large number of blankets required within a limited period. All offers of blankets according to the War Department specification, under which the blankets are to be made wholly of wool, have been accepted with one or two exceptions where the price asked was excessive. In addition to this orders have been given for blankets made according to samples which have been approved after expert examination. Some of these samples are made wholly of wool. Others have a cotton warp with a heavy wool weft, but there are no inferior shoddy yarns among the samples approved. In no case does the cotton exceed approximately 10 per cent., and the blankets are good warm articles, suitable in every respect for the service.
§ Mr. WATTCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the quality of the blankets now provided has gone down from what it was originally when the War started?
§ Mr. FORSTERNo, Sir, I do not think it has.