§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the attention of the Board has been drawn to the acquisition during the present year of several retail and importing meat companies by large trusts, in every case at figures greatly in excess of the value of the shares held by those companies; whether he is aware of the large number of stalls in the Smithfield Market allotted to the companies forming the trust, thus allowing them to manipulate prices to the disadvantage of the consumers; whether his attention has been drawn to the excessive prices paid for possession of stalls in the market, thereby adding considerably to the cost of meat besides restricting possession of the stalls to firms connected with the trusts; and whether any action has been taken by the Board with regard to the serious allegations made before the Committee inquiring into meat combinations in 1908 with reference to certain practices alleged to prevail in connection with Smithfield Market?
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§ Viscount WOLMERI am not aware of any such purchases by large trusts, but the right hon. Gentleman is no doubt aware that important acquisitions of this nature have been made by a British company. The number of stalls in Smithfield Market held by others than British subjects does not appear to me to be dangerous, and I understand that the meat trade is of the opinion that it is not possible for any interest to control the price of meat. The purchase of stalls in the market is a matter for the City Corporation, but I may remind the right hon. Gentleman that the 1908 Committee did not find that there was any undue preference in the allocation of stalls.