§ Mr. BYRNEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether Messrs. Ross T. Smyth and Company, Liverpool, who have been acting as brokers for the purchase of grain for the Government, stated some time ago that they had given up all their usual business; whether they, shortly after their appointment as Government brokers, formed or subsidised a firm named Rathbone Brothers to trade in all classes of grain, flour, etc.; whether Mr. Rathbone, who is principal partner in Ross T. Smyth and Company is also principal partner in Rathbone Brothers; how the Government dealings in grain during the year 1915 turned out; whether they showed a profit or loss; whether the figures of such profit or loss are available; whether the books and accounts of Ross T. Smyth and Company have been inspected by a public auditor; whether Ross T. Smyth and Company previous to August, 1914, were largely interested in flour mills in Austria, Hungary, or Germany; and whether they still hold an interest in any flour mill in any enemy country?
§ Mr. ACLANDMessrs. Ross T. Smyth and Company are engaged as agents for the purchase of wheat, flour and maize for the British and Allied Governments and from the date of their appointment have, at their own request, gone entirely out of1074W business on their own account. They arranged to transfer a certain part of their business to the firm of Rathbone Brothers, which has been in existence for about 200 years. Neither Mr. H. R. Rathbone nor any other partner in the firm of Ross T. Smyth and Company is a partner in Rathbone Brothers. The purchase of wheat for the British Government was made for the purpose of ensuring a reserve stock in the country as an insurance against the risk of interruption of overseas supplies, and the fall in the price of wheat during 1915, together with the cost of storage, necessarily involved a loss on the transaction. All the operations of Messrs. Ross T. Smyth and Company are under the direction of a Committee on which the Treasury is represented, and the accounts of the firm are closely supervised and checked by a special staff under the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries and are subject to audit by the Auditor-General. A full report and accounts will be laid before Parliament in due course. Messrs. Ross T. Smyth and Company have not, and have never had, any interest in flour mills in Austria-Hungary 6r Germany or in any enemy country. I think that the hon. Member will find that his unfounded aspersions upon a firm of extremely high standing will not be approved by members of the corn trade.