(To THE EDITOR or rue " SPECTATOR.") Sia,—In your article
entitled " More Beer (October 1311,) Yon use very moderate language in dealing with this matter. For "the furious farce," as you call the Government action, might easily and truly be spoken of in stronger terms. While the barley question is being dealt with as at present by the Government it is hard to believe that there is any real need for economy in cereal... What are the facts P In the spring of this year the Government took over all barley in the hands-of the brewers and maltsters. and it was supposed this barley was to bo used for human food in the way of bread. The brewers were told to hold all stock-. and not to malt any more of the 19113 barley crop. Holders of these thousands of quarters of barley were regarded as saviour. of the people's food. A very trifling quantity wits taken from these stocks for milling. Now those same stocks have bees released by the Government for brewing. Then the fact you mention, that the maltsters are allowed to buy barley at 55. 3d. a quarter over standard rate—i.e., over the price the miller may gire—preventt the latter from obtaining practically any barley. The wording of the Order is "Barley bought for manufacturing purposes add Is. 3d." to the standard rate of Ms. 9d. per quarter. Of course, it is only natural that the farmer, wishing to obtain the highest price, does not offer his barley to the miller, but Ito the maltster, who is only too willing to take all he can get; fur even at this price (68s. a quarter) it is much cheaper then any foreign corn. The farmer dare not sell, and the miller dare not buy, this barley at its value, under threat of prosecution. If it were the other way on, and the miller were allowed to outbid the maltster by 5s. per quarter, of course lie would stet the barley and the maltster would go short. But surely this is an insidious device to get the barley for beer as against bread. How strange: But the ease is even more strange if for any reason the fermi, objects to sell his barley for conversion into malt and would prefer to feed it to his pigs, and thus produce that much-needed breakfast bacon. The Order is that if this barley is fed to pig, the farmer is liable to prosecution, which would probably lead I,. heavy fine or imprisonment, or both. Yet the farmers were urged to plant barley last spring, as the crop would be needed for human food. Will the country allow this sort of thing to go on until the people are actually hungry? And then it will be too late-1 am, Sir, fic., A. BLOMFIETO.
Orange Hall, Gosfield, Halstead.
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