§ Mr. FFRENCHasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the Wexford Co-operative Meat Supply Company, whose turnover is about £200,000 annually, is placed in an unfair position by the Ministry of Food as compared with the exporters of live cattle and English co-operative societies; is he aware that the exporter in live cattle has freight commission and insurance paid for him as well as shrinkage, and receives payment at the port of landing, and is relieved from all further risks, whilst in the case of dressed meat all these charges are paid by the exporter, and as the sale of dressed meat is at least 3d. per stone of 8 lbs. less than that made by the live beast it is equivalent to 21s. of a bonus on a beast of 6 cwt. shipped alive; why, when the right of free sale is withdrawn and the produce placed under control, the Wexford Society cannot obtain the same terms offered to the new societies in England, which receive a bonus of 1½ per cent. on the value of their meat, 5s. 6d. cost of collection, a free slaughter-house, and payment of meat off the hooks; is he aware that English co-operative societies get an indirect bonus of about £1 per head compared with the Wexford Society, while its established customers are taken away from it and an extra 2½ per cent. added to the commission on the sale of its offal when consigned to the wholesale meat supply in London; and will he look into this matter and see that no difference is made with regard to the Wexford Meat Supply Company?
§ Mr. CLYNESIt is certainly not intended to discriminate between different classes of Irish exporters. While exporters of Irish cattle have sea freight to the port of landing and other charges paid, the slaughterer of cattle in Ireland obtains the full benefit on the sale of offals, representing a difference in his favour on such sale of about 13s. on a 10 cwt. beast. The live and dead-weight prices are as nearly as possible on a parity. Nor is it the case that any preference 631W has been given to the Farmers' Co-operative Societies in England. The charge of 5s. 6d., referred to in the question, is a flat rate to cover slaughtering and other standing charges, and no indirect bonus of £1 per head is given to any English Co-operative Society by the Ministry. I will consider the question of the commission payable on offal exported by the Wexford Society.