§ Mr. SCANLANasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the large firm of potato suppliers on the Irish Advisory Potato Committee are only paying the farmers £5 15s. per ton for loose loads delivered into their stores, instead of the Food Controller's then minimum price, £6, in this manner depriving the farmers of the 5s. per ton which the War Office allows them for services rendered, at the same time receiving this 5s. per ton from the War Office, thus securing for themselves a margin of 10s. per ton between the price they pay to the farmer and what they charge the War Office; whether this 10s. per ton is 2s. 6d. in excess of the Food Controller's allowance of 7s. 6d. per ton for this work; and what action, if any, he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. FORSTERNo, Sir; I am not aware that this is the case. If the hon. Member will furnish me with further details in support of his suggestion, I will have the matter investigated.
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§ Mr. SCANLANasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he will state the number of tons of potatoes offered to the War Office during the month of October and the present month by firms outside the Irish Advisory Potato Committee; the price at which these potatoes were offered per ton; and whether he will state what price the War Office was paying the Advisory Potato Committee at the same date.
§ Mr. FORSTERTwo offers have been made by a firm who were removed from the Irish Advisory Potato Committee on account of their unsatisfactory transactions. As this firm has broken practically all the regulations of the Committee by which they had agreed to abide and had been removed for that reason, it was not considered advisable to place any further orders in their hands.