§ 87. Captain WRIGHTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company is a Swiss company with its head offices at Cham and Vevey, a capital in shares and bonds of 70,000,000 francs, and total reserves of about 26,000,000 francs; that this company owns a number of factories in the United Kingdom, and exercises in those countries where its factories are placed control over the supply and distribution of milk; if he will say whether the number of these factories has been increased during the War, and whether full use is now being made of them by the company; whether he is aware that the following are the names of the directors and London managers of the Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company: Directors, E. L. Roussy, E. W. Escher, Auguste Mayor, Gustave Aquet (London director), Auguste Roussy, Fred H. Page, B. Rossier, K. Vischer, and H. Saurer; London managers, A. Listard-Vogt, J. Baer, and C. F. Simond; that all the directors except Gustave Aquet reside at addresses in Switzerland (six) and France (two); that the Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company controls the following products: Condensed milk, Nestlé's, Milkmaid, Gold Medal, Ideal, Superb, and Viking; foods, Nestlé's Milk Food and Milo Food for infants and invalids; chocolates, Peter's Milk, Cailler's Milk, Nestlé's Milk, and Kohler's, and has been given special facilities to import some or other of the above during the War; whether he is aware that the shares of the Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company are in the form of share warrants to bearer and are not procurable on English stock exchanges, but only in Zurich and Geneva, and are now quoted at Zurich at 1,700 francs for the 400-francs share and have paid the following dividends: 1910, 17½ per cent.; 1911, 18¾ per cent.; 1912, 20 per cent.; 1913, 22½ per cent.; 1914, 23¾ percent.; and 1916, 527 25 per cent.; whether he can say if the increase in dividend and capital value during the War is due to the terms of the company's contracts with His Majesty's War Office and Board of Admiralty, and what are the terms of those contracts; whether the Nestlé, and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company owns a factory, or factories, at Lindau, Bavaria, or elsewhere in Germany, and, if not, since what date; if his attention has been called to the company's appeal of 23rd October, 1914, in the German newspaper "Suddeutsche Markthallen" to the sympathies of its honourable, clients in Germany on the score that it is not an English company and of the benefits it confers on German agriculture, industry, and commerce; whether the Board of Trade, or any other Government Department, has a list of the shareholders in the Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company; whether the Board of Trade, or any other Government Department, has called upon the company to furnish such a list and has been satisfied that none of the company's shares are held by enemy shareholders; whether the Board of Trade has made any inquiry into these matters in 1908 or at any date since the beginning of the War; and whether he proposes to take any and, if so, what action in the case of this company?
Mr. ROBERTSThe facts with regard to the capital, directors, property and dividends of the Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company, which is a Swiss company, are substantially as stated in the question except that the total amount of the shares and bonds issued is 90,000,000 francs instead of 70,000,000 francs, and that the company is interested in, but I am informed does not control, the brands of chocolate which are mentioned, I am not aware of any special facilities having been given to the company to import any of the products referred to. I have seen an extract from a German newspaper to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers showing that in October, 1914, the company had a branch in Germany and was publishing in Germany the fact that it was a company formed with Swiss capital under Swiss law, but I am informed that the company's property in Germany was disposed of last year. I must refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the War Office and the Admiralty for information as to any con- 528 tracts entered into with those Departments. I am not aware of any ground on which action should be taken by the Board of Trade with regard to this company, but I am having certain inquiries made as to the ownership of the company's shares.
§ Mr. STEWARTWill the hon. Gentleman inquire through our agent in Switzerland as to German shareholders in order to prevent, if possible, dividends earned in England from going into German hands?
Mr. ROBERTSMy hon. Friend will find, if he reads the answer, that I have promised to undertake to make inquiries in that regard.