ENGLISH MARKETS AND FAIRS. 61 



maintain " sufficient and suitable accommodation " for 

 weighing cattle to the satisfaction of the Board of Agri- 

 culture. Consequently, where insufficient or unsuitable 

 facilities are given, farmers will be able to appeal to the 

 Board of Agriculture to insist on their provision. 



As regards the collection of live-weight prices, the Act 

 compels the authorities of certain selected markets to send 

 to the Board of Agriculture, in such a form as the Board 

 may prescribe, returns showing the number of cattle 

 entering, the number and weight of the cattle weighed, 

 and the price of those sold. The market authority is 

 given power, for the purpose of making a return, to cause 

 any cattle to be weighed. The Act further provides that 

 auctioneers, unless exempted by the Board of Agriculture, 

 are to erect weighbridges in their saleyards and marts, 

 and all auctioneers having marts in the towns from which 

 returns of prices are made are also to make returns to the 

 Board of Agriculture. 



One other recommendation made by the Royal Commis- 

 sion may be said specially to affect agriculture. This was 

 the twenty-fifth recommendation, which ran : — 



That it is desirable to collect statistics of market prices of 

 commodities, through the agency of market owners, as far as 

 may be possible. 



As regards grain and live stock, certain machinery now 

 exists for the collection of prices. In reference to the 

 former, it may be mentioned that at the beginning of 

 February, 1892, the responsibility for the issue of the 

 weekly corn returns was transferred from the Board of 

 Trade to the Board of Agriculture. But the twenty-fifth 

 recommendation of the Commission had reference to pro- 

 duce other than corn and cattle— such, for instance, as 

 cheese, butter, vegetables, meat, fish, etc. The statistical 

 and commercial advantages of a reliable record of prices 

 are practically the same in reference to every consumable 

 commodity. As yet no steps have been taken to give 



