§ 37. Mr. W. THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade the quantity 1174 of bacon which has arrived in this country during the last twelve months fit for human consumption and which has since been disposed of for soap boiling and kindred purposes; if he is aware that in recent weeks the wholesale prices of meat were fixed by the American trust at 1s. 0½ d. for hinds, 10¾ d. to 11d. per 1b. for forequarters of beef, and 1s. 1d. for over-age River Plate lambs; that at the time of these high prices the prices in the United States of America were 6¾ d. to 7d. per 1b. for hinds and fores; if he is aware that even with a freightage charge of ½ d. per 1b. meat prices in this country remain excessive; and if he proposes to take action?
Mr. HARCOURTIn the year 1915, 326, 169 tons of bacon were imported into the United Kingdom, and in the six months ended 30th June, 1916, 208, 836 tons. I am not in a position to say how much was used for other purposes than food. I am informed that the highest wholesale price in London for chilled hindquarters of beef was 11⅜ d. per pound on 29th May; for chilled forequarters, 9½ d. on 7th June; and for River Plate lambs, 1s. 1d. on 16th June. On 2nd June, chilled hindquarters were 1s. 0½ d. per pound and chilled forequarters 10¾ d. in the United States. The freight rate from the United States is, I understand, about l½ d. per pound. The present London price for chilled hindquarters is 9d. per pound, for chilled forequarters 7d. per pound, and for River Plate lambs 10d. to 10½ d. As the fall in prices is likely to continue, I do not consider it necessary to take any special steps at the present moment.