The Hop Control. 



[Feb., 



chairman of the board was not then called the Hop Controller, 

 but was appointed as such by order of the Food Controller, 

 dated 9th January, 1919, made after consultation with the 

 Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. The powers given to the 

 Food Controller in that order include the following : — 



<; (a) To take control of the hop industry ; (&) to take over all such stocks 

 ■of hops as may be from time to time determined ; (c) to buy and sell hops ; 

 (cl) to grant permits exempting any persons from all or any of the provisions 

 of the Hops (Restriction) Order, 1917. as amended by the Hops (Restriction) 

 Order, No. 2, 1917, subject to such conditions, restrictions, and upon such 

 terms as the controller may think fit ; (e) to enforce the due observance and 

 performance of the said orders, and all such further orders respecting hops 

 and for controlling the hop industry which the Food Controller may from 

 time to time issue ; (/) to issue such rules and regulations respecting hops, 

 and for controlling the hop industry as he may from time to time determine ; 

 (g) to enforce the. due observance and performance of the rules and regulations 

 issued by him, and such further rules and regulations as he is by this authority 

 authorised to issue." 



A further order of 14th May, 1920, called the Hops (Restric- 

 tion on Delivery) Order, 1920, made by the Food Controller, 

 prohibited any person from taking delivery of any hops arriving 

 in the United Kingdom after 10th June, 1920, except under 

 licence of the Food Controller. In the earlier years of control, 

 importation had been entirely prohibited. 



It should be borne in mind that this control was set up at the 

 urgent request of the hop growers and merchants, many of whom 

 feared the extinction of the industry. 



The powers thus conferred were subsequently dealt with in 

 section 4 of the Ministry of Food (Continuance) Act, 1920, which 

 ran as follows : — 



"4. — (1) With a view to assisting the industry of hop growing in the United 

 Kingdom to recover from the injury which it suffered during the War, the 

 Food Controller during the continuance of his office shall have, and exercise, 

 any powers in relation to hops which at the time of the passing of this Act 

 were exercisable by him, and may by order prohibit or regulate the importation 

 of foreign hops in such manner as may appear to him necessary 



(2) An order under this Act providing for the transfer of the powers of 

 the Food Controller under this section to any other government department or 

 departments may, notwithstanding anything in this Act, provide for the con- 

 tinuance of the power so transferred until the expiration of a period of five 

 3'ears from the passing of this Act, and in such case the provisions of this Act, 

 so far as necessary, shall continue to have effect accordingly." 



The final power was the order in council of 24th March, 1921, 

 made by His Majesty in accordance with the section quoted 

 above transferring the powers of the Food Controller under that 



