FOR PEACE AND WAR. 87 



Company, has the same tale to tell. "Is it your impression," 

 he is asked by the Chairman (Lord Eosebery) — 



" That there is any great difficulty at the present time in procuring horses 

 of the class that you want ? — There is no doubt about it. 



"Are the horses which you are working at the present moment English or 

 foreign ? — They are nearly all foreign horses at present. 



'' When did you first begin to procure foreign horses ? — Shortly after the 

 late war on the Continent, within about the last two years." 



These foreign horses are not equal, thinks Mr. Church, to our 

 own breed for fast work. The average amount of work to be 

 got out of the Company's horses is from four years and a half to 

 five years, so that Mr. Church has not yet had sufficient ex- 

 perience to speak of the lasting qualities of these foreigners. 

 They are mostly Percherons, and come from Normandy and 

 Brittany. But even this source is likely to be closed soon, 

 owing to the increase of price the French Government have put 

 on their stock, and then Mr. Church confesses he does not know 

 what he shall do. 



" Do they consider it perfectly hopeless to get the class of horse that you 

 want in England? — They cannot get them; they travel for them, but they 

 cannot get them. 



" You also say that the number of working horses, in your belief, at the 

 present time in London is greatly below that of any previous time during the 

 last twenty years ? — I believe so. I cannot give any figures to prove it, but I 

 know that many cab proprietors and other people, who formerly kept horses, 

 have given it up entirely, because they cannot afford to get them ; in fact, 

 they cannot get them. 



" Do you mean a great many of the large cab proprietors ? — No, not the 

 large cab proprietors, but men who used to keep two or three cabs, perhaps. 



" Your answer does not imply that it is because of the great demand, but 

 because of the great scarcity of horses ; it is not a relative scarcity, but an 

 absolute scarcity ? — Yes it is an absolute scarcity. 



" Do you think that the scarcity is likely to increase ? — I am afraid so. 



" Do you think that the class of horses that you require is extensively bred 

 in England at the present time? — I do not think it is. I am told that farmers 

 say that it does not pay to breed horses. The.v prefer to breed and fatten 

 stock, and they are not breeding horses to any extent. 



" They also sell their stock to foreigners, do they not ? — Yes, the foreign 

 dealers were at the country markets, and they ti'avelled to all the fairs, and 

 did a vast business. There is one man named Douay, a Frenchman, who, I 

 should think, has taken over some hundreds, and probably thousands, of 

 horses. 



" It is becoming a very serious question for your Company, is it not ? — ^Tes, 

 it is a question at the present time of something like £30,000. 



" And, of course, if that increases very largely you will have to raise your 

 fares very greatly, will you not, or give up your business ? I am afraid that 

 raising the fares would destroy the trade on the one hand, and, on the other, 

 it is a vei-y dilScult question with lis to know what we shall do. 



"But it is a vital question, is it not? — It is, no doubt. At present we have 

 the advantage of having very cheap provender, and have had this advantage 

 for the last two years, and I think there is a prospect of our having it for 

 another year. But if provender becomes dear, I could hardly tell what would 

 be the effect upon our company." 



