398 THE WAR AND AGRICULTURE 



by large numbers having been commandeered, would tempt 

 farmers to build their stacks out in fields and scattered all over 

 the farms, it was urged that this warning should be given at once, 

 before the crops were harvested. These suggestions were treated 

 with the supercilious disdain not uncommon at the Home Office. 

 That Department saw no danger of the kind suggested, but it 

 did fear danger from the alarm which they anticipated might 

 ensue " if such a warning were published." If the Department 

 " saw signs of stack firing it would take action." On it being 

 pointed out that no suggestion had been made of publishing 

 any warning, and that stack firing was not preceded by signs, 

 the reply, curtly given, was that the* police had other things to 

 do and the Department would follow its usual course. 



A personal letter to the Home Secretary, stating the position,, 

 and calling attention to actual fires that had occurred, only 

 elicited the usual formal acknowledgment, so the Department 

 was left to enjoy its somnolence without further disturbance. 

 That the danger was not imaginery was shown by the number of 

 stack fires reported in the Press in the following weeks, and the 

 numerous outbreaks in the North of England was commented 

 upon at meetings of local Chambers in that part of the country, 

 as well as in the local newspapers. 



Apparently the Home Office altered their view, for in the 

 following December the British Fire Prevention Committee, 

 after consulting the Home Office and the Board of Agriculture, 

 issued " Fire Warning " No. 14, entitled as follows : " Farmers' 

 Fire Precautions." These were printed and circulated as widely 

 as possible, and all the suggestions laid before the Home Office 

 on 17th August were included in these Precautions. 



HOME GROWN WHEAT. 



The following questions were asked in the House of Commons 

 on the 9th September : 



Mr. Charles Bathurst asked the Prime Minister whether, in the 

 event of the Government deciding to provide, by legislation or 

 otherwise, some financial inducement to farmers to retain upon 

 their premises their stocks of wheat now being harvested, or sow this 

 autumn a larger area than usual of their land with cereals, he will, 

 without delay, make a public announcement to the above effect 

 in order to avoid the premature marketing of this year's grain, 

 and to encourage the early sowing of grain for next year's harvest, 

 and the immediate preparation of the land for such purpose ? 



Mr. Charles Leach asked the Home Secretary what steps are 

 being taken to secure a larger crop of grain during the war ? 



Mr. Hunt asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the 

 fact that on account of the war the wheat crop of the world must 

 be short next year, he could give the farmers of the United 

 Kingdom a guarantee that for all wheat suitable for making 

 bread, reaped next year and sold in the United Kingdom after 

 next year's harvest, the Government would, if necessary, make 



