Reading Observer 03-1918

.

~

r

.

BERKS
CHAMBER
I' .,

.

,~

.;. i

I

.'

PRICE
~ I

'"

.

A meeting of thc Be-rVand Oxon Chamber
Agriculture ,!,,!a ~Id . a~ tl.te G,..~ We.tem
R..ding, ·011
Mr. H. R.
sided, and there, ~e~a.,l80
Yelm.
Wells, J ob . LQu.sI~, .W. ,
T: P .
•1. Po.r')l.tt;,. fl· ~ •. Cot~U, ,. . . ltolDlOll'ger,
lIuclmcll, T. Rote, G. rBaotol!, E. T. Sb01'l1'ov.
lmer , '\V. J. H6bm~,~
0 . . ~a.,to.~, E.
(;. S. B~ford , J. A'~ar, ~. Brazil, F.
boOM, T, .;.F :!. Ijee'l G" jW. La.lJey an~ J.
Major T;'aJ .....WhcQ1e, "fith·tlie 'bon.
,,', ChiU~~w;if-~· 'f, .~~ Sirpmon8.
\I.'ould havCl 'POkeD u~~ an "impo'rtaI1t matter
nected with° th. ~g Of e..tt!e; "" unavc,idJ.
ably ab5ent: haYiDg· i!l atthd' a ;"..ting at
wich.
. ..... :: • .~ 'I . ..
,I
'
• ' NEw MEMBERS.
M~. P. CO' hn.inger; 01 W.mt.•••.
jI'wylord, E.! W. Chioman, W ,·ink6el,d.
'~illoughpy, Eaat Hend",j, .
u:';;~::;::tl
D!ect.ed et.. bloc~ aa\ new mem~ra of the

:saturday.!

e...

ra.

~1

,

:

1.

".11,

\..' Ii

wero

;CORRESPONDENCE.
Letters had ~ reCeiv~ from the liou~e
·Lord. :and the ' House of Common. a.clmowl'idaini:
the reCeipt of a 1 py 'of tli. reoolution on
ti6nol Rep""entalii.on recently passed 1t<; t~
tua an,d.
I g. support to
the scheme.

I~r lhad.~ &4,0 '~n roceived from ~Ir.
Lousley thanking tJie memben of the Chamber
, their ayrpp&theticl re~lnbion on th& c;J.eath of
fDiher. one of ,the first' members of the. Cba",berj
a.nd oria who had alwa.ys p.ad the interests
'griculIUr' .t heak
,

I·

.

.,PRICE·FlXING.
The Cb!l~;n ~oke, ~t. some Ilengt.h

I

i "

promi81'

I

. ,

ill

.

.

,

,

OD

policy of the~vrment . in regard to-the
of prices, which fAy ~n~emned. It. ""'"""red
him th~t th. principl. which had actuated
Minis\ry 01 Food, i.e., tho contemplation
producers on. the .one hand, f,&nting
get, ahd of the consumers on the 'other,
to pa~ as little
poS8ible, and tJie fising
pri"'; between tho two parties, though 0 plom.ible
pri~ci~l~ on tho face ~f it, was a faJse ,"
recogmslIfg how detnmeDtal the h,oldulB
stocks for personal interests would be .1.

!

.asl

sent time. and.. whilo

.

mentIs endeavoUr -to

~_'''. :".""

Taiior-cut nicil q1l ality Stripo Cottoi Shirt, _ ..
Whit.e. · a~d Na,VY and ~hiLl!I • .
~F ranch Slip .o~r .~I D!lII!l, la.teninl with '
trima.ed heantltc.blnl. tDlan cuili.
.
. Smlrt Stripe rtlle Frenc.h Lawn Bloule.

of . the

ins and to strike a.

that it was poaible to

, and ' Black, with larte White Voile
. collar. h~""'i!'~'.,l,,_:.•

'Ptoducera and t.he consumers

however equitabl~. was entirely mi'stake;;,
it. assume{l tho provision of a. fair .profit. on thl!l
of prpdu~n . Th~ underlying J.V"!'y 01 that
positiCit· was thai the cost of pr.odu~ion of
arllc1.a'n.Mad in different circumstances,
wher~as' in L ondon, for instance, the COEt
production WtlS v¥Y low, in Hants dl'
"\Itcry high. If pota.toes were :wtLnted
SA.Ij:, then', to fu I& prioo a.t a point wh,icl'- "'ould
.. ensurCI that the J~t unit which WilS required
make up the qutll}tity of potatoes n~eeded . must
produced at a. "Pl'Ofit~1From the foregOing
ment he evolved !-he ' om that th~ fina.l and
elusive criterion of .tb. qut.y of t46 fMmel' in~
mat.ter "'of prodilar~on i .to pq>du~. that which
can produce a.t a. profit, a.nd · nothmg else, for
ho produced a.t a OM h o was deliberatel ....
ing somcthiri.,lt wHich the public, .since
not preparc4 to pa!y 'R. COToring price for
want. It wa.s. t.hl!:refore, futile to fix 1m avera'.l(el l
for by sO doing on~ knotked out ~ryone who
producing a.t a. hi4her price than -the. a.verage,
as a. remedy tho speaker propoundbd the .}olll~y
rect [p rinc:ip~c as lbeing that i which .mted such
price I &.8 would ensuro' thA.t the ]iIoIt i~cremeDt
production .hould I ~ produced that ",o"n"",.,.",
to pro\-;de tbe1quantity wanted. It -was
ness .of a del'Mt.m"nt which undentood
tions or production . to ensure that the
which was' produ~d under th~ mm;t .
dition , which walll required to ensure .orovii.i,m
t he quantity ! needed · should fix the prjce, .
same time; of couh.e l re!t.raining e"XceSlijve·
Th.t w.. tli. onl~ w~y- to '
pr<,duetuml
shouId metl~ the aemand.
which \Voula
that pr,>dt,cti;;~ ,

,I

j'

:1

i'l
• .• I

.:

11
I

I
.' \.

.
,I

'.,

£.hOU]~d;·~:~~~~~~~:f~~l:~~~8~:11

,

,.

butor from
sive profit.
Tr\ent. had
order
manto had

I

meeting
the whol.
try in regard
would prefer
Tbey as a ChaD;btT
prin ciple to
prices.
Mr. W. J. Cumber . • &id that a Mojor
from the Ministry 01
.had ..ked

I

j

, I:
'i'
I

I.

·1

II
. , I·. I
I

I

I

I. '.

j·1
I,
c'

.,,

H."_",....,.

grqw increased" " ~~~~~~~.ti:~a¥:J
ment were willing to
1ast week,conditJoos
II
differe.nt
of
But though tq. yield.
50 per cent. of that In LicnC(,lnl,liir'e,
8ug~est..ed was only lOs. per ton more for
whj~h was inadequate. There waS an idea
ting up a de'pa.rtm~nt for fixing prices, but
Cll m~r'lS oplpiori there were no me~ 'at the
of Agriculture- Competent for the tal!lk.
MI. J ob LousIer pointed .oal! t.hat it
Food Controller rath.r than t . Board of AszriCl,FII
lure who fixed prices. 3.nd advoca.t+-I the co."ul ..... 11
tion o[ prOducers before t.be fixing of prices,
been done. ·to 8. oertain extent, in the ca.se
But if this W&I!I to ·.be done agri culture
sent a unite4 · front and th~ v~rious' _aa:ric,ulliu"~1 1 1
organisations. mUll"t. combine.. They
at
~n given hi.idler prices,for meat, ,but it was
late how, .and had the fanners been listened
."
.
'
i
...
ea rlier t he peoplo wou1a now be ,getting 1* lb.
meat per week inst..d· of' ! Jb. .
•
("....
!
, P.R'., AGAIN.
• .
!
. : '( . ~ r t .. .
Mr. W. J. Qumber aga.in raised lithe question
P.R Thougb the COmmons had thrown it
....
l
, '!. .~ .; : .\' "
he said , a:' proviso .had been inserted · that · "ile 1
Echeme should ,be tried experiment4Ily in 100 COD- :
~tilile)1ciel' .
The Commi!sion
.
poi nted · for "' the . purpoee of
il::rk;~~:i~I'~;
and he o.d.vocated tbe inclwion of I
{ ~~ ; i, i '~ ':... -\
100 constituencies: _ Tkougb Berb ·W:38 an
.
/'
", 1 \ '
':
~
1
tu r..l County in favour Qf P.R., apd ha.d.
,Under the ' &u.!Il.ieel ' of the), Gb-'o~:1tivo Union,
agriculturAl aembe!'!, a'll. of tbo.c;e three one
Ltd. {Southem &Ct.ip)\h"the, <hfor~ ·,Di&trict AsJ,.
\'ott1d in fa,J6ur ·of P.R., one
it, while
dation oon'fened ~~ P1~ing f ~r. d~legates a,t , t~e
thi rrll\'as not present at tbe
.
Asseml.'lly Rooms J 1teading; ~ri (&at-ur~y nJternoop.
It ~lU decided that t he Hon.
Mr. J. B.. · Ridsd&1~Hprer.j.4ecl' 1P:PP.. '}pOAe ]>rescpt
tai n ,. hether t-he choosing of the l~'~~;:~l::~'i~~~i~ ;1 included MeIIIIn. l .\··~:.. QP!J,~~,t.,
.
D rr
rlc]I (, llded upon the selection 01 tho
E ........ ,... .
li pan certain principles defined · in the
. M.oru, D, Rose anu .... r omley · (memberi' of the
it was found tha.t it depended. upon . the
Reading ~mmittte)" a~d ¥.,z~~i .fro'm ~'~in~4n,
of the Commi"ion, representation . hould ~
High WYOombo; Banhlity,<,od<>rI\ and dmldfq, d .
wi th a. ,-low t~ tbe inclusion of Berkshire.
The object of the meewn~.!""'W...a .~to ileal- an D.ddr~s.
THE FEEDINQ..STUFFS SHORTAGE.
frem lli. B. 'Willia",.,. !Oc~ , ot ~h. So~,t!'Ym
A lor;tg discllMlon . foll owed upon the
Section. of the C~pe~~lVe l1mpl!-.t t~a: , ODI •• I1~oq
mrthnds of feeding stock in view of
rat.iorUllg and.
pO!Id.ion, a.nd policy oC thc
Jlo!it.ion in regacd to feeding-stuffs. lJ.'he
C.W.S. a.fter"the ,iec18:r1tjqq ' o~ .pe~.~'
Silld th;\t a national cenlU& of
Mr~ Riaadale aaia that.·"If';"""
d;~t~io!ijfig .was l
taken e,'Ery aix montbs, and a. reiI"'OO"ta·tive
"'
',k,n monthly. which.
disgr~' l and Ii ~. ~!,:.d~,,~o .~rry it on. f
('urate, revealed a. very
ilhmt.ra.ied lthe pol{er~?f .l.~he l .Jhtau.• t,. ,agaU1s~t tbe
in~ system Was ·in course o"{
Co.operative mov~me1Jt! ~ ,t:~ . p.WJ.8 I. had outb~ltc\'ed t.hat, baving regard to
grown its ~biJiti~;! and. lt·:,w~ . ~ question] ~n
~lices would be as large as the,'v cou1d be.for
view of t.he m... of work ·th.at, ha;d to .be dond m
wou ld manaj!e to ma.ke the .stocks
' . ,
_ 0,
cI'"e., but h. I,,","ow difficulty in
the futllfi> "hether it woulll
poliCy to h~v"
P1J:;s. He therefore asked for
& ·di.5tributing society. alt\
....~ produ~ion
hQ\\-~ittl e a. pi&;' could fatten onl .and
society.
The . ~.i.rma"it i9t~ijqe d· Mr.
her~ submitted some .instructive ~pe I'1enceJ:l
WHli&mt5, who, he"
.
1U;!,;;:estionl.
Mr. WilliAms.
~!R ANKER SIMMONS AT ...,r\l'~u'r'..
carried at • eeeliipnlM', &"lfo"'~I"\~ iortnig;ht
11r. Anker S·immoJU.. wh~,' ...
~ ';;d;;;~~;~;.o;
and lent to Lord RI,o~!dda.'·!lJlri?~I~'>:~
~milbl~ to be·_pr~t as he WM
Clynes and Mr. Pr'ot}:""" h.·,AO
lng- of farmers called by the
Societies were
·th':t- oi!I.~il1g,
'!'gricultu ro to protest again,t
proposal for the Mle of ~ttle by
in turn repruented
.frpquently interrupted . in} hi.
to 0110 .mimoll~ peopl@,
He ....d that the
denlQtided .ra'Lio •• inli,
lion, ·whi.eh ~ p'rOpdsed

8D~

"

.,

~~i~~r~~:~~:~~;~:11

I

I.

i'

"

;~

I .:

MINSTER;'
StREET~

.

CO.bpl::RAT6RS AAND·· FOOD
.

I

"RATJONlVG; ..
~

.A· ~f\tj9~~~~\S~~TE¥;

th,.

1I

.-

&ft.e~oon, ~as ~ "~ ~~~~~;~l~~~j~i~~

they were
had got
it to
they
going
tthey
he\" ever asked
for get
it.
po~d to pa.y the farmer

meat be produced, .. &
cr,uld tb~v tell him .,..here

of"Yes,·"and

1~:~;~~~~:~~~~~

and ttbe effect of•. it
~
UMIIlbled _comRri.ibg...
OxIOrd·diotricf of tho
tW the ' Minister

·· i
1

I,
,

,\

Iii

,.

I
I

"

I

I
i'

1
II
,I
1

I

I'"

,

-col

I·

,

i

I

butcher a profit i a.will7)'u
Toice:
profit" 1) Be;l.ta woula .
P!lssi ble t in their ""on ...... ,
quire ha.lf-a.-dozen
411. a. pound to the

mean
a.oy inc,rea.se
I"'i.!~
A resolution
lII'M U;i&D,im~.Iy ~:::r:~'
p
(pat the f __ 1'"

scheme.

:

,,

;

j

I

'\ i