Mr. POLLOCKMasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a threat has been made by the 1755W military authority in the Midlands that if any hotel refuses to agree to take in officers travelling in uniform, on duty, at certain specified low prices in relation to the present cost of provisions, that the name of it will be published in a black list; and by what regulation this black list is authorised and by whom is it compiled or controlled?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI understand that, in order to regulate the charges to officers on duty, hotel proprietors in the command have been asked by the military authorities to agree to certain maximum charges, and that in nearly every case hotel proprietors have agreed. In a few cases where the hotels have declined to agree to the terms, the proprietors have been notified that a list of such hotels will be published, in order to deter officers of limited means from going to those establishments. A list also of the hotels which agree to the rates will be published at the same time.