§ Mr. NEEDHAMasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state, in comparative form, last year's prices and this year's prices, made up to the latest available dates, of food-stuffs in Germany for bread, butter, lard, beef, sugar, bacon, mutton, pork, potatoes, peas, and haricot beans?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe following table shows the retail prices in Berlin in May, 1914 and 1915, of the various articles of food referred to:—
Article. Retail Price in May, 1914. May, 1915. s. d. s. d. Rye bread,* per 4 lb. Wheat bread (rolls),* 5½ 9¼ per 4 lb. 10 1 2½ Butter, per lb 1 2¼ 1 7 Lard, per lb.* 7 1 4¾ Beef, per lb 9 1 2½ Mutton, per lb 10½ 1 2½ Pork, per lb 8¾ 1 5½ Bacon, per lb 9¼ 1 6¾ Sugar, per lb 2¾ 3 Potatoes, per 7 lb. 2¾ 5¼ Peas (split), per lb. 2¼ 7 Haricot beans, per lb 2¾ 7½ * The comparisons with last year are complicated to some extent by the operation of various orders made this year by the Federal Council, under which the quality of the flour to be used in making bread, whether from wheat or from rye, has been changed in various ways. Thus, since 15th January, millers were not to deliver wheat flour except in a Wend of which 30 per cent. consisted of rye flour; and in the making of "wheat bread" from this blend V0 per cent. of the total weight was to be replaced by potato preparations. In the manufacture of rye bread, also, no wheat flour was to be used, and the "rye flour" used was to be a blend of mixed rye and other flour and of potato preparations. Under two orders of the Federal Council issued in March a somewhat more liberal use of wheat flour is once more permitted in the manufacture of bread.