29. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to complaints as to the methods whereby fiars courts calculated the average prices for grain and as to the operation of these fiars' prices; whether he is aware that many burdens upon the land, such as ministers' stipends, and certain Crown and other feu duties and casualties are fixed in accordance with these fiars' prices; whether owing to 196 the rise in the price of grain due to the War these burdens upon the land have been increased and in some cases doubled; whether the action of the Government in guaranteeing a minimum price for wheat for the next five years will operate oppressively in this respect unless some redress is provided, while the persons on whom these burdens fall are prohibited from deriving any benefit from the higher prices of grain; and, if so, whether he proposes to take any action?
§ Mr. MUNROI am, of course, aware that the increased value of agricultural produce will result in an increase of the fiars:' prices, which are based upon actual market values, and I am also aware that an increase in the fiars' prices must affect all transactions which are based upon these prices. It is, however, in my view premature to assume that a guarantee of minimum prices will necessarily affect the fiars' prices, and, as at present advised, I am not prepared to take any legislative action based on that assumption. I will, however, undertake that the matter will be kept under observation.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in many cases where these prices have been increased landlords axe forbidden to raise rents, yet on account of these high prices they have to pay a much larger amount in the way of stipends and other burdens?
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in past times when they took the rough with the smooth there was no legislation or Order in Council to prevent them securing a fair market return?
§ Mr. MUNROI have just said in the first answer that I do not think any Order in Council would affect this matter.
§ Mr. PRINGLEIf these fiars' prices depend upon market prices, does the right hon. Gentleman believe the guarantee will have any effect on market prices?
§ Mr. MUNROThat is a question in regard to which one can only prophecy. It may be so or it may not be so.
§ Mr. WATSONCannot the hardship be mitigated by an average of years being taken for the purpose of fixing the 197 stipend, as I understand is the case in England? The hardship largely arises out of the constant variation.