The Irish standard., 1917-09-08
Irish Crop: May
Be Commandeered
OATS, FLOUR AND WHEAT
PRINCIPALLY AFFECTED
Drastic Step May Be Avoided-Spee'
uIation in Food-Stuffs Must
Cease.

The question OF cOmmanQeerAue
the Irish oat crop has, it is under
stood, been under consideration re-
Gently by the military authorities. No
decision has as yet been arrived at,
but Irish corn merchants anticipate
no such drastic step. There is q
huge supply of oats in the country,
and it has been impressed upon the
military that there will be an ample
quantity for military and civilian
needs without Communicating. With
in the past few days the military have
Communicated all the Irish -four mills
with a capacity of under five sacks
an hour. Those with higher ca
pacity have been taken over some
time ago.
Amendments to the Corn Produc'
ton Bill to be submitted by Messrs.
Clancy and O'Connor on the Report
stage on Monday provide for the ap-
plication to Ireland of the provision
that contracts made after the passing
of the Act can be revised; and to Sc
cure the non judicial tenant in the
position enjoyed by him as regards
reduction of rent on estates on which
these reduced rents have become nor
NAL though the old figures are still
retained in the rent books.
Mr.. Duke has tabled amendments
dealing with the Wages Board, pro
viding that except in fixing a mini
mum for able-bodied men it may di
rect that the rate fixed shall operate
as from such early date as may be
specified, not a date prior to the pass
ing of the Act; providing that ques
tons and amounts requiring to be de-
termined shall be determined by the
Land Commission instead of by arbi
tration; under the Land Law Acts
providing that ejectment proceedings
for non-payment of rent shall be
deemed for enforcing payment within
the meaning of Part ILL.,, and amend
ing that portion applying Part Nv to
Ireland so as to read:
"The powers of entering on and
taking possession Of land and cult
waiting the land or adapting it for cul
tivation may be exercised whether the
occupier in default is or is not a
| tenant"
Crop Restriction Order.
The Earl of Mayo, having raised the
question in the House of Lords OF
the 1917 Crop (Restriction) Order, he
said, came like bombshell on Irish
farmers, bringing all ordinary bust
ness almost to a standstill, Lore
Rhondda said the object was to pre-
vent speculative dealings in grain ant
potatoes, which might interfere will
the working of any scheme necessary
to control both price and distribution
The sole object of control was to di
rect and facilitate distribution through
ordinary trade channels, and ensure
that anything in the nature Of specu
lation or unnecessary inter-tradint
was made impossible. The scheme
had been approved by all the Boards
of Agriculture. 1t was intended tt
reserve all wheat. rye, and barley fol
use as human food or for seed. Wha
was not required for milling would b.
available for animal food. Maximum
prices would be fixed for barley, oats
wheat and rye. The maximum price
for wheat and rye would change from
7Os quarter to 74s after June /. Thu
price of oats would be Ais to ass, al
average of 43s a quarter of 312 lbs
That good price ought to encourage
Irish farmers to till more land. The
price for, barley would be Sos quar-
ter of 400 lbs.
Mr.. Clynes, replying in the House O
Commons to Mr.. Flavin, said that thu
maximum retail price in Ireland O
maize flour, maize meal, and maize
products generally were fixed at 31at
a lb., but he asked for notice of {
question regarding the control of In
dian meal without fixed prices. Thu
retail price of flour, he said, woult
be reduced to correspond with thu
price of bread, and that included fou
for home-baking.