§ 66. Mr. HURDasked the Minister of Agriculture what information he has in his Department as to the movement now in process of development among the farmers' co-operative societies of Australia, Canada, and the United States for the pooling and marketing of wheat for the British market; and whether his attention has been called to the announcement made at a conference of Australian co-operative farmers that 11 Australian co-operative distributing companies made a turnover of £2,000,000 by one year's operations in flour on the London market?
Sir A. BOSCAWENI have no information on this subject, apart from statements which have appeared in the Press. I understand that in Australia 24 there is a movement for the establishment of a voluntary wheat pool for the marketing of wheat on the lines of the Wheat Board set up by the Commonwealth Government during the War. In Canada, it appears that the Law Officers of the Crown have decided that the reestablishment of the Wheat Board, with compulsory powers, which operated during the War, would be ultra vires, but a Bill for the establishment of a Wheat Board without such powers has recently been introduced into Parliament. I have no information as regards the United States. My attention has been drawn to the announcement referred to in the last part of the question.