§ Mr. HUME-WILLIAMSasked the Under-Secretary of State for War what is the rate being paid for the billeting of men and horses to the keepers of public-houses and to ordinary householders; respectively; why the former receive less than the latter; and whether he will take steps to secure that the inducement now offered to a publican to equalise the remuneration by selling drinks to his lodgers shall be removed by paying the same rates to both publicans and ordinary householders?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe present statutory rates for licensed victuallers are: Soldier, lodging and food, 2s. 3d. per day; horse, stabling and forage, 1s. 9d. per day, which will be increased to 2s. on the passage into law of the Army (Annual) Bill. The corresponding rates for ordinary householders are 50 per cent. higher. The ground on which the difference is based is that it is the licensed victualler's ordinary business to lodge and feed strangers, and the obligation to take troops at these rates is a known condition of his licence. The householder is in a different category.