§ Mr. LOUGHasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he has commandeered the whole stock of hay, clover, and mixture crops in the country, and is arranging a system by which the proportion not required by the Army will be distributed; whether he is aware of the shortage of fodder of all kinds in London, and that the machinery which has been devised for meeting the supply is not in working order; and whether he will take immediate steps to prevent the suffering, loss, and difficulty which must ensue through his interference with the ordinary channels of distribution?
§ Mr. FORSTERA system of Landing over in bulk all available hay and straw to the trade for distribution through their ordinary channels is being inaugurated with the object of meeting a shortage of supply due mainly to unequal distribution.
§ Mr. LOUGHasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the usual trade channels for the purchase of hay, clover, and mixture crops have been closed down; whether the Board of Trade Returns show a stock of about 13,000,000 tons of these articles available, while the Army requirements are only about 1,000,000 tons; and what provision is ho making for the supply to firms engaged in the horse transport for the Government, docks, railway companies; and general business in London and other great cities?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe trade channels through which hay and straw are supplied to the public are in no way being interfered with; on the contrary, the trade are being assisted in finding supplies for distribution. The average crop of hay in this country is approximately 11,000,000 tons, of which the producer uses about 9,000,0001204W for feeding his own stock, leaving 2,000,000 to provide for the wants of the Army and the civil consumer. The requirements of each of these are about equal, namely, 1,000,000 tons.