§ Mr. CLOUGHasked the Food Controller what supplies of the staple articles of Human food are now in this country as compared with the quantities of the same foods in this country in July, 1914?
Mr. ROBERTSReturns of stocks were not collected prior to the outbreak of war. The earliest figures available are those for the 1st September, 1914. The following table shows the stocks on 1st September, 1914, and 1st July, 1919:
(The figures for wheat and flour include stocks in port granaries and warehouses, inland warehouses, mills and bakers' shops, and estimated farm stocks; those for rice include stocks in port granaries and warehouses and in mills; those for meat and provisions include stocks at ports and in cold stores and in importers' and the larger wholesalers' warehouses; and those for sugar, tea, coffee, and cocoa are stocks remaining in bonded warehouses or entered to be warehoused.)
Commodity. 1st Sept., 1914. 1st July, 1919. Tons. Tons. Wheat and flour (as equivalent grain) 2,684,000 1,314,000 Rice *85,000 115,000 Beef 24,100 20,000 Mutton 36,000 29,900 Rabbits, poultry and game 5,600 7,200 Bacon and Hams 12,000 27,700 Other meat 10,400 46,600 Lard 8,200 10,300 Eggs 5,500 4,100 Butter 16,900 18,800 Margarine 2,800 3,100 Cheese 12,900 7,600 Sugar 131,000 404,000 Tea 36,200 78,500 Coffee 20,800 49,300 Cocoa 14,400 67,400 * 1st September, 1916. Figures for 1914 not available.