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Questions And Answers Circulated With The Votes

Volume 176: debated on Friday 21 June 1907

The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.

Woolwich Arsenal—Service Of Men Discharged

To ask the Secretary of State for War if he will circulate with the Votes his statement showing the number of Woolwich men discharged on reduction from 1st June 1906 to 1st June 1907, specifying how many men have been discharged after ten years service and the number of years served by the remainder. (Answered by Secretary Haldane.) Ordnance Factories, Woolwich. Statement showing number of men discharged on reduction from 1st June 1906 to 1st June 1907—

Service *Total.
Under 1 year46
1year and under2114
2years and under385
3 years and under486
4 years and under571
5 years and under6147
6 years and under7204
7 years and under8128
8 years and under998
9 years and under10104
10years and under11162
11years and under1266
12years and under1338
13years and under1435
14years and under1554
15years and under1643
16years and under1756
17years and under1850
18years and under1959
19years and under2020
20years and under2132
21years and under2280
22years and under2325
23years and under2415
24years and under2522
25years and under2614
26years and under275
27 years and under284
28 years and under297
29 years and under306
30 years and under315
31 years and under329
32 years and under3314
33 years and under344
34 years and under352
35 years and under3612

Service *Total.
36 Years and under377
37years and under381
38 years and under394
39years and under401
40years and under413
41years and under421
42years and under432
43years and under441
44years and under451
45years and under464
46years and under473
47years and under48
48years and under491
49years and under50
50years and under51
51years and under52
52years and under531
Total1,952

Irish Land Act And Holdings In Towns And Villages

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the regulations issued for the guidance of the Estates Commissioners in February, 1906, under The Irish Land Act, 1903, have in effect absolutely prevented the complete sale of estates which the owners were willing to sell, so far as regards holdings in villages and towns on such estates, so that many agreements for the sale of such holdings have been dismissed by reason of the Estates Commissioners not being allowed to take into consideration the value of buildings, but only of the sites or of plots of land held therewith; whether he is aware that the intention of the Act of 1903, to enable the owner of an estate which was mainly agricultural or pastoral to sell the whole of such estate, was given effect to in the case of the King-Harman estate, in and near the town of Boyle, county Roscommon, but was frustrated in the case of the estate of the Earl of Huntingdon, in and near the village of Clashmore, county Waterford; and whether he will advise that a new regulation more consonant with the intention of the Act should be framed by the Lord-Lieutenant. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) It is not proposed to frame a new regulation on

*Good service from date of entry (not from attaining age of 16).

this Subject. In the opinion of the Irish Government the existing regulation is entirely consonant with both the letter and the spirit of the Act of 1903. It is not the case that the regulation has prevented the complete sale of estates mainly agricultural or pastoral, so far as regards town and village holdings. The Estates Commissioners make advances for the purchase of such holdings comprised in estates mainly agricultural or pastoral when the y consider the security to be sufficient. In the case of the Earl of Huntingdon's estate, the Commissioners refused to make advances for the purchase of eleven village holdings at Clashmore, because they considered the security to be insufficient.

Evicted Tenants—Application Of Representatives Of Maurice Cowhey

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can say whether the Estates Commissioners have received an application from the representatives of Maurice Cowhey, deceased, of Ballinaguile, Croagh, evicted tenant on the De Burge Bateson estate, now untenanted land; and whether, when the untenanted land on the Dickson Power estate, situate at Clonshire and BoherBrada, in the county of Limerick, is purchased by them, they will give the Cowheys some of this land in lieu of their evicted farm. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Estates Commissioners have inquired into the application referred to, and have decided that they can take no action upon it. The holding in which reinstatement is sought has been sold under the Land Purchase Acts to the occupying tenant, and moreover the applicants are already in possession of a farm of 100 acres.

Payment By Post Office Of Pier Dues For Parcels At Innellan

To ask the Postmaster-General whether he is now able to say why the payment by the Post Office for parcel hampers passing over Innellan Pier has been stopped; and whether he will cause such payment to be resumed.

( Answereed by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The payment of dues in respect of both letter and parcel mails passing over Innellan Pier

was discontinued some years ago, as it appeared that the Post Office was exempt. I am advised that the exemption applies to parcels as well as to letters.

Postal Facilities At Southend-On-Sea

To ask the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the number of visitors at Southend-on-Sea during the summer, he can now make arrangements for additional facilities for the sale of postage stamps and postcards and the posting of letters in Cliff Town Road and Nelson Street. (Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) I fear I can do little more than repeat the information which I gave to the hon. Member in my letters of the 29th January and 1st May last, when I informed him that it was not possible to arrange for additional postal facilities in Cliff Town Road and Nelson Street.

Bonded Warehouse Accounts Department Of The Customs Service

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he can say what are the numbers of the staffs and the annual cost of that branch of the Customs Statistical Office employed in recording warehouse accounts of bonded goods; if there is a similar department in the Inland Revenue service in connection with warehouse accounts; and, if not, why is it considered necessary in the Customs service. (Answered by Mr. Runciman.) I am informed that no branch of the Customs Statistical Office is employed in recording warehouse accounts of bonded goods. Such accounts, both in the Customs and Excise Departments, are kept locally under arrangements devised in 1881–3 after prolonged investigation by the Treasury Bonded Warehouse Committee.

Customs Bonded Warehouses

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that in some Customs ports, particularly Liverpool, Customs bonded warehouses and vaults are allowed to remain open without an officer being present therein; and, if so, is this practice sanctioned in the warehousing code issued to the Revenue services; and if any, and what, steps are taken to prevent abstraction of spirits from such warehouses and vaults in the absence of the officer. (Answered by Mr. Runciman.) I learn that Customs bonded warehouses at Liverpool and elsewhere, when open for the deposit or delivery of goods, are always under the superintendence of an officer, but that the continuous presence of an officer at every warehouse is not prescribed by the warehousing code, and is not required for Revenue purposes. The warehouse keeper is responsible to the Crown under heavy bond for the duty upon the entire stock, and the Board of Customs inform me that they have no reason to fear that there is the slightest danger to the Revenue under the present system, which was instituted after prolonged inquiry in 1881–3 upon the Report of the Treasury Bonded Warehouse Committee.

Voters Lists In Enniskillen

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that some months ago a circular letter was addressed by the Local Government Board for Ireland to the clerks of unions, town clerks, and other public officers responsible for the preparation of the lists of voters and claimants, directing them to have inserted in the supplemental lists the names of persons occupying rooms over which their landlords, although residing upon the premises, do not exercise any control; whether he is aware that, notwithstanding this circular, the requisition forms which have been served upon inhabitant householders in the urban district of Enniskillen contain the following instruction: that if the landlord of a house let out in separate tenements lives in the house he must not return the names of the occupiers of tenements in the house; and whether, seeing that the supplemental lists are prepared from the requisition forms, and that this instruction may have the effect of disfranchising a number of occupiers of rooms who would be entitled to votes under the Kent v. Fittall decision, upon which the direction of the Local Government Board was based, the Local Government Board will take steps to have the names of all such persons placed on the supplemental lists. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) I understand that the facts are stated in the Question with substantial accuracy. I am advised that there will be no necessary disfranchisement of persons as the result of what has happened at Enniskillen, because any persons who may have been omitted from the return can make claims before the revising barrister. The Local Government Board have no power to take the steps suggested in the concluding part of the Question.

Newport (County Mayo) Police Acting As Water Bailiff

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Newport, county Mayo, police have been acting for several months past in the capacity of water bailiffs for the local landlords; that Sergeant Hunnigan and other members of the Newport police have been stationed on several nights, dressed in civilian clothes, at Lettermaghera waterfalls, within two miles of the town; and will he say who gave them instructions to act in such a manner and by whoso authority they have been turned into bailiffs. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Inspector-General informs me that the police have not acted as water bailiffs in this case. During the past month policemen have on several occasions visited the place named, with the object of detecting fishing for salmon by means of unlicensed instruments, there being reason to believe that such illegal fishing was taking place. Under the 11 and 12 Vic., cap. 92, section 29, the police have power to demand the production of licences to fish with engines, nets, or instruments, and any person failing to produce a licence on demand is subject to penalties.

Head Constable Magee Of Newport, County Mayo

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he could say how many years service in the Royal Irish Constabulary has been put in by Head-Constable Magee, of Newport, county Mayo; is he aware that this officer attends regularly the meetings of the Orange and Freemason societies which are hold in Castle-bar, thus absenting himself from duty; is he within his rights in doing so; is he aware that this officer has neglected to prosecute a man named Malley for setting fire to heath belonging to Mr. E. Thomas-O'Donel, of Newport, although six witnesses swore in court that they saw Malley setting fire to the heath, for which a malicious injury claim was lodged by M r. Thomas-O'Donel, and that another malicious injury claim has been lodged by Mr. Thomas-O'Donel for setting fire to heath on the same farm; and will he see that a sworn inquiry is held into the conduct of the head-constable in refusing to prosecute Malloy, who is still at large. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) Head-Constable Magee has completed thirty years service. The Inspector General is informed that the head constable has not attended any meetings of the Orange or Freemasons societies. The offences referred to in the latter part of the Question were offences against the Game Laws, and the police have no power to prosecute in such cases.

Erection Of The New Victoria Barracks At Windsor

To ask the Secretary of State for War what sum has been allotted during the present financial year towards the erection of the new Victoria Barracks at Windsor; and how much of this has been expended up to date. (Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane) A total sum of £56,000 has been allotted from Military Works Loan Funds for this service for expenditure in 1906–7 and subsequent years. The total expenditure to date is £107.