§ Captain CHARLES BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will state the average prices of wheat (including new wheat), flour, and the quartern loaf of bread on the 1st June, the 1st August, the 1st September, and the 1st October in the current year; and (2) if he can state the reason why, if there has been a fall of over 20s. per quarter in the average price of wheat as between the 1st August and the 1st September, 1915, the difference in the price paid by the poor 1213W for a quartern loaf of bread has not exceeded a halfpenny, and in some parts of the country is nil; and what action, besides watching the fluctuations in market prices, is the Board taking in the matter?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe following table shows the prices of certain grades of wheat in London and Liverpool and of a standard quality of flour in London, on the Monday preceding the 1st of June, August, September and October, 1915, respectively, and the predominant prices of bread in London and the United Kingdom on the 1st of each of those months:—
— June, 1915 August, 1915. September, 1915. October, 1915. Wheat. London quotations— English White (delivered), per quarter of 504 lb 64s. 6d. to 67s. 58s. to 61s. 47s* 45s. to 49s.* No. 1 N. Manitoba (ex-ship), per 496 lb. 71s. 60s. 6d. 59s. 8d. No quotation. No. 2 Hard Winter, per 496 lb. 68s. No quotation. 55s. 48s. 6d.† Liverpool quotations— No. 1 N. Manitoba, per 496 lb. 63s. 2d. to 63s.5d.‡ No quotation. 56s. 2d. to 56s. 5d. 56s. l0d. to 57s.† No. 2 Hard Winter, per 480 lb 64s. 2d. to 64s. 5d. 56s. to 56s. 2d. 56s.7d.to 56s.10d. 56s. l0d. to 57s. No. 2 Hard Winter (new), per 480 lb. — — 52s. l0d. to 53s,§ 49s. to 49s. 2d. Flour. London Households, No. 1 (ex-mill, less usual discount), per sack of 280 lb. 51s. 6d. 43s. 6d. 42s. 6d. 4ls. 6d. Bread. Mean predominant price per 4 lb.— London— N. & N.W. 8¾d. 7¾d. 7¾d. 7¾d. E. & N.E. 8¾d. 7½d. 7¾d. 7¾d. S.E 8½d. 7¾d. 7½d. 7½d. S.W 9d. 7¾d. 7¾d. 7¾d. W. & W.O. 9d. 8d. 8d. 8d. * New wheat. The last quotation for old wheat (57s. to 59s. 6d.) was on 23rd August. † Price on 20th September. No later quotations given † Price on 4th June. § Price on 28th August. Between the beginning of August and the beginning of September there was a fall of 10s. to 12s. per quarter in the price of English wheat, but this was due to the fact that the quotations for August were for old wheat, while those for September were almost wholly for new wheat. The new wheat is not so productive as the old, when milled, owing to greater moisture; consequently no fair
1214Wcomparison can be made between the prices of new and of old wheat in regard to their effect upon the price of bread. It will be noticed that the Liverpool quotations for old wheat show very little change-since August. If definite cases of unduly high prices of bread, having regard to the local qualities and other conditions, are brought to the notice of the Board of Trade they will be inquired into.