FOSTER CLARK'S

1891 to1965

FOSTER CLARK LTD.

Hop Control 1917 to 1925

The following book was compilled by George Foster Clark after his period as Hop Controller. The roll was employed to ensure supply did not outstrip demand and hence reduce the price of hops during the first world war. The role earned George a knighthood which he declined.

The book is available in my personal collection. This particuar edition was sent to G Thornton who was a representative of the Hop Factors based at 99, Borough High Street, London SE1.

There were 20 member on the committee and we can thus assume there are 20 copies around the country, possibly a few more in libraries, I would be interested to know if anyone else has a copy. info@fosterclark.info

The volume is packed with minutes and information, it would be far to much to place on a website, but if anyone wanted to study the volume it could be made available. (Expect to leave a big deposit).

HOP CONTROL
1917 - 1925
G. FOSTER CLARK
HOP CONTROLLER

G. THORNTON Esq
MEMBER OF THE HOP CONTROL COMMITTEE

BOUGHTON MOUNT.
NR. MAIDSTONE.

14th December 1925.

Dear Mr. Thornton,

You will remember that it was decided to print the
Hop Control Minutes and supply them to members of the Committee. I send you herewith the book containing the same.

As soon as I got to work upon it, I found it desirable to some what enlarge its scope, and I have endeavourer to make it a compilation of all the important data concerning the origin and conduct of the Control. It was through the activities of the Hop Trade Association that the Control came into existence. The Chairman of that body has been good enough to place at my disposal the Minutes of the Association, and from them I have been able to obtain an accurate and full account of how the Control came into existence,(see pages VIII to LIV). AB this account is very detailed, I have summarised it in pages I to VII.

With regard to the minutes of the Hop Control Committee,
(pages 19 to 263.) they are a weariness to the flesh to read through, I have therefore made a short digest of the same (pages 5 to 18) for the convenience of Members with the view that they can always refer to the full Minutes if they wish for fuller information.

I have omitted from the Minutes themselves, matters quite
unimportant to record, but the original Minutes have been deposited with the Ministry of Agriculture, and will always be accessible to the Members of the Committee if they wish to see them.
I have also included in the volume the Circulars of instructions that we sent out to the Trade. As you know, they were modified
from year to year, and I have endeavoured to show the different years to which the instructions apply. Further, it seemed to me desirable to make a permanent record of the Government activities in connection with the Control. The Ministry of Agriculture has been good enough to place its files at my disposal, and I have been very carefully through them, and have printed all Order's.. Press Notices etc., issued by the Government.
The volume therefore contains all the important documentary matter in connection with the Control which would have been lost in the archives of a public department if it had not been recorded in this way.
This volume is in no sense a history of the Control, but it contains all the matter upon which a history can be written - I still hope to produce such a volume although owing to a rather busy life, I have not been able to make much progress with it so far. Hoping that you will be pleased to have this record as a reminder of your many years of arduous work.

I am,
Yours sincerely,