§ Captain CHARLES BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if 837W he will state the relative average prices of wheat, flour, and the quartern loaf of bread on the 1st May, the 1st August, and the 1st September in the current year; and (2) whether the heavy fall in the price of wheat and flour throughout the country has been fully reflected in the current price of a loaf of bread; and, if not, what steps, if any, is the Board taking in the interests of the very poor to ensure that it shall be so reflected?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe prices in London of two typical grades of wheat, and of a standard quality of flour on the Monday preceding the 1st of May, August, and September, 1915, respectively, and the predominant prices of bread in London on the 1st of each of these months, are as under. Owing to variations in grades and descriptions average prices of wheat and flour for the country generally are not completely comparable:—
— May, 1915. August, 1915. September, 1915. Wheat (London quotations)— No.1 Northern Manitoba (ex-ship), per quarter of 496 lbs. 71s. 60s. 6d. 59s. 3d. English White (delivered), per quarter of 504 lbs. 62s., 66s. 58s., 61s. * 57s., 59s. 6d. Flour— London Town Households, No. 1 (ex-mill, less usual discount), per sack 51s. 6d. 43s. 6d. 42s. 6d Bread— Predominant prices in London, per 4 lbs. 8½d. 7½d. and 8d. 7½d. and 8d. * These prices relate to 23rd August, as after that date the only quotations are for new wheat, and these are not fairly comparable with those for 1st May and 1st August. The price of bread on a given date is obviously affected by the price of flour at a somewhat earlier date, and having regard to this fact it would appear that the fall in the price of bread has followed, approximately, the usual course, namely, that a fall in the price of flour of about 4s. per sack entails a fall of ½d. per four pounds of bread. As, therefore, the keen competition among bakers to secure the trade would seem to have regulated the price in accordance with the usual practice in times of peace it does not seem necessary to take any special steps. The matter is, however, being carefully watched.