to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the hours worked by the hydraulic crane-drivers and capstan rope-runners employed by the Great Northern Railway Company at their goods station, Deansgate, Manchester; whether he is aware that those so employed are boys of sixteen years of age and less; that the rope-runners are constantly working amongst moving wagons on the lines, thus making their occupation especially dangerous; and will he say what steps he proposes to take in the matter.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, whether, according to the terms of contract, the Dublin firm is bound to pay the trade union rate of wages ruling at the port, while the wages at Appledore are below the usual trade rates, and the workmen there are not recognised by the Shipwrights' Union; and, if so, whether he will arrange that the Fair Wages Resolution of the House of Commons shall be carried into effect in the Appledore shipyard.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he can say if the Long Hole at Bangor, county Down, is Crown property; whether his Department will co-operate with the Department of Agriculture in Ireland and the county Down County Council in giving facilities for the provision of improved harbour accommodation for the Bangor fishermen and boatmen; and whether he can state why the gates of the new pier are kept closed, and the old right of way for the fishermen barred.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that dissatisfaction is felt by members of the Chamber of Commerce and the coal exporters of Newport, Mon., because, in accordance with the Mines Inspection District Regulation Order of 12th October, 1901, districts were allotted to Cardiff and Swansea, and named the Cardiff district and the Swansea district respectively, while Newport, which is a more important coal shipping port than Swansea, was included in the southern district, which includes not only the coal fields of Monmouthshire, for the production of which Newport is the natural shipping outlet, but also includes the practically non-coal-producing counties of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Wilts, Hants, London, Sussex, Kent, and Surrey; and whether, seeing that the name of a port being associated with the coal shipped from it is considered a valuable asset as an advertisement, and that the preponderance of the weight of coal in the southern district is produced in the neighbourhood of Newport, he will take steps to alter the name of the southern district so that it shall be described as the Newport district, or allot a distinct district, to be named the Newport district, as in the case of Cardiff and Swansea.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his attention has been called to the procedure of the London Immigration Board; whether he is aware that there is no power to administer an oath to witnesses; whether it is possible for alien immigrants to be represented by legal men should they so desire; whether he is aware that the immigration officers consider that it is not within their duty to inform relatives and friends of immigrant appellants that they should appear at Blackwall, and that as a consequence the Board has come to a decision on the uncorroborated testimony of the inquiry agent; and whether, seeing that MR. Vallance, the chairman of the Board, on Friday, 7th December, gave it as his opinion that the officers should render all possible assistance to the relatives of immigrants to insure their attendance as witnesses, and that the procedure is due to regulations drawn up by his Department, he will appoint a Departmental Committee to inquire into the working of the immigration boards with a view to secure efficient and uniform administration.

To ask the Secretary for Scotland whether he can say how many of the fifty-two swarms of bees supplied by the Congested Districts Board to the parish of Dornoch, Sutherland, now survive; and whether, seeing that the matter has been a failure, any further trials are contemplated.

To ask the Prime Minister, in view of the urgency of land legislation for the Highland crofting counties, if he will undertake that the Small Landholders (Scotland) Bill shall have an early place in the legislative programme for next session.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether His Majesty's Government will consider the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the general management of railways in this country, and to compare systems which have been adopted or are proposed for adoption abroad, with a view to their possible adoption in this country.

To ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether he is aware that the Report of the Departmental Committee on Railway Rates, appointed by the Board of Agriculture, has caused disappointment; whether he is aware of the difference of opinion as to the meaning of the terms of reference among the Committee; whether he has noticed that the representative of the Board of Agriculture signed a separate Report; whether he will confer with the Board of Trade as to the appointment of a new Inter-departmental Committee with clear terms of reference; and whether he will see that agricultural interests are adequately represented on the Committee, and that the railway experts serving shall not be necessarily railway directors or managers.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the fact that MR. T. P. Gill, Secretary to the Department of Agriculture and Technical Education in Ireland, addressed a letter last week to the Sligo Technical Education Committee, in which he stated that at some future date it may be found expedient to erect a new technical school building in Sligo, and that a new technical school building is urgently needed in Sligo at the present moment, can he state approximately the future date when the Department will be in a position to advance money for the purpose; is he aware that owing to want of sufficient accommodation in the present technical school in Sligo pupils seeking admission are turned away, and that the only suggestion the Department has been able to make to meet the difficulty is to establish overflow classes; and will he say what steps does the Department propose taking to assist in procuring adequate accommodation and to obviate the inconvenience and expense of overflow classes.

To ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that complaints have been lodged by the Army Clothing Tailoresses' Association regarding bolts protruding from the forms tearing their dresses and aprons; whether he is aware that the manager of the factory has given orders for the bolts to be removed; and can he state when such order was given and how much of the work has been done during the past fortnight.

To ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is intended to remove the police lodge from the south-western gate of the Royal Army Clothing Department; if so, what are the reasons for so doing; and will he say whether, in view of the fact that the Building Works Department has no money in hand, it is intended to save the cost incurred by such removal by reducing the number of employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the Natal Mounted Police were precluded from attending the King's birthday parade with Imperial troops; that the Minister of Justice, in reply to a Question asked in the Natal Parliament, stated that, though Ministers desired this force should take part in the parade to demonstrate their loyalty to their Sovereign, they withdrew their request owing to questions of military etiquette having been raised; and will he say who was responsible for raising these questions of military etiquette, seeing that the Natal Mounted Police have, except when fighting, always attended the parades in honour of the birthdays of the late Queen Victoria.

To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in reply to Lord Elgin's letter of 18th May, 1906, the Commissioner of British Central Africa reported that any special preventive measures were required against the spread of sleeping sickness; whether the Commissioner maintained his opinion that it was not necessary that one of the medical staff of the Protectorate should visit Uganda far the purpose of studying the question; and whether any local medical officer possessing experience of this disease will be available to co-operate with the two special officers sent out by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any protests have been received from the Australian Colonies against the exclusion from the Colonial Conference of representatives of the individual states of the Commonwealth; whether his attention has been drawn to the statement of the Premier of New South Wales that any resolutions arrived at by the Conference concerning State matters would be ignored as worthless if passed behind the backs of the representatives of the Australian States; and whether the scheme of representation at the Conference has been finally deter- mined so as to exclude the separate states in the Commonwealth.

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury what length of time has elapsed since the contemplated reorganisation of the Colonial Audit Branch was first considered; whether the scheme of reorganisation is yet decided on; and, if not, when may a decision on the matter be expected.

To ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the , Board of Agriculture, whether his attention has been called to the introduction into Great Britain of the fungus disease known as the American gooseberry mildew, which threatens to destroy the culture of the gooseberry in this country, and to the need of taking stops to arrest the further progress of that disease; and what course the Board of Agriculture will be prepared to adopt with that object.

to ask the President of the Local Government Board, whether he will state the number of local authorities that have applied up to the present time for powers to enable them to put The Unemployed Workmen Act, 1905, into operation; whether any who have so applied have boon refused; and, if so, will he state what authorities have been refused and the grounds of such refusal.

to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether, in view of the declared intention of His Majesty's Government to introduce a Licensing Bill next session, he can see his way to expedite the issue of Licensing Statistics, 1906, in continuation of Licensing Statistics, 1905 [Cd. 2961], issued in May, 1906.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now supplement the information given by him relative to the number of accidents caused by motor omnibuses in the Metropolitan area in July, August, and September, by giving similar information for the months of June October, and November respectively.

To ask the Secretary for Scotland whether at Invergordon higher grade public school, Standards I. and II. have been placed in charge of an uncertificated pupil teacher, who is permitted to administer corporal punishment; and, if so, whether he will take measures to put a stop to this irregularity.

To ask the Secretary of State for India whether he will place in the Library a copy of the Assam Labour Inquiry Committee's Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the Madras Estates Land Bill, in addition to giving tenants occupancy rights, protection from enhancement of rent and from unjust eviction, and customary claims to communal grazing, and to waste and cultivable lands, also deprives the landlords of various customary rights and privileges, such as the right to increase the area of their home farms, the right to enter into contracts with their tenants for the cultivation of any lands at any other than the fixed rate of assessment, the right to receive rents in kind where such a custom exists; that the landlords strongly object to such provisions; that such landlords are not descendants of farmers of the revenue but of ancient and princely families who have possessed the privileges of which it is now proposed to deprive them from time immemorial; and that they hold that they and their lessees should not be put in a legal position inferior to that of their tenants; and whether he will, in view of the feeling entertained on the subject, direct the Government of Madras to hold such further inquiry as he may deem fit and proper in the circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the Indian Government, having made an order dated September 20th, 1906, admitting the sub-target aiming apparatus free of duty as educational apparatus, when imported direct by any unit of His Majesty's regular forces, have now prohibited the importation of an essential portion of the machine, namely, the rifle attached to it; and whether he can take steps to facilitate the importation of this machine, having regard to the fact that the rifle attached to it can be made useless for any other purpose than the practice of aiming.

To ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is in a position to give the House any further information as to communications between His Majesty's Government and the Chinese Government in reference to opium.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state the number of tenants who were evicted in South Westmeath during the years 1904, 1905, and for 1906 up to the 1st December; and how many of those or others who were evicted previously were reinstated during these years either by the landlords or through the action of the Irish Estates Commissioners.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether it is within the province of the Board of Control of the Royal Canal to use the power vested in them by statute to prevent the Midland Railway Company closing the Broadstone section of the canal, or by their default, in not dredging it, allowing it to become silted up, and thus prevent loads being conveyed by lighters on it; and whether he is aware that at present only about twenty ton loads can be carried, whereas, if kept in order, full loads of fifty tons could be conveyed.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state who are the members of the Board of Control of the Royal Canal; and whether they hold regular meetings and make any attempt to use the powers vested in them by statutes to compel the Midland Great Western Railway Company to carry out their obligation imposed by 8 and 9 Vic, s. 36, c. 119.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state the number of national school teachers of twenty years service and over who have been dismissed for inefficiency since the inauguration of the system of wire-bending and paper-folding, and whose service before was highly commended by the inspectorate.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, where lands liable to quit routs in Ireland are sold under the provisions of the Land Act of 1903 on what terms is quit rent extinguished, to what purpose are moneys obtained by the extinction of quit rent applied, and is the interest of moneys paid to the Treasury from the sale of lands in Ireland liable to quit rent devoted to any Irish purpose.

to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Estates Commissioners acknowledged the receipt of an application on the 7th July last from Patrick and Mrs. Colfer for restoration to their homes on the Rosegarland Estate; whether any progress has yet been made in this case; and, if not, can he explain the cause of delay.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that dissatisfaction prevails amongst the Irish national teachers regarding the vagueness of Rule 104a, which it is believed may retard promotion and receipt of increment; whether there are office regulations that may have the same effect, the nature of which have never been explained to teachers and managers; if the inspectors' Reports have any bearing on these matters; what is the precise character of the Reports which would entitle teachers to increments in Grade III., Grade II., and Grade I. (2), respectively, and which would entitle teachers to promotion from each of these grades to the next higher.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that 386 labourers cottages have been built in the Rathkeale rural district at a total cost of £62,922; whether he can state how many are unoccupied, and how many applications for further cottages in that district have been lodged; whether complaint was made by nine of the largest ratepayers in the district on the grounds that several of the district councillors had a pecuniary interest in the erection of labourers cottages; whether, as a result of such complaint, two Local Government Board inspectors held a sworn inquiry in October last; and whether he will publish the result of the inquiry, or state whether any of the officials or members of the rural district council were implicated, and, if any, give their names and state the extent.

To ask the Secretary of State for War whether, the Government having frequently stated that officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates are to be employed whenever practicable, and that it is advisable to find employment, if possible, for ex-soldiers, he will consider whether this could be done at the Out-Pension Office of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, where at the present time some thirty-five War Office civilian clerks are employed on purely military work, two of whom have been given quarters in the Royal Hospital, which was founded absolutely for the sole benefit of officers and soldiers who have deserved well of their country.

To ask the Prime Minister, whether, with reference to Section 6 of The Exchequer and Audit Departments Act, 1866, the position of Comptroller and Auditor General, with a salary of £2,000 per annum attached to it, is a patronage appointment in the gift of the Crown; whether the appointments for some time past have been in the nature of selections by the Treasury from amongst permanent Civil Servants; and, if so, whether, having regard to the nature of the duties performed by the Comptroller and Auditor-General, and the independent position of the office, the selections for future appointments will be made by the Government and independent of the permanent officials of the Treasury.

To ask the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the position of Comptroller and Auditor-General has never been occupied by an Irishman, and that all the Irish public accounts are audited by this official, the Government will in future consider the claims of Irishmen as well as those of Englishmen and Scotchmen in making appointments to this post.

On behalf of the hon. Member for South West Ham, I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he has received a Resolution passed at a meeting of ex-service men held on Saturday, 8th December, at the Chandos Hall, Charing Cross, in connection with the sentence passed on Stoker Moodie; whether he would take into consideration the refusal of Lieutenant Collard to answer questions, with a view of having the whole proceedings quashed; and whether he would consider the advisability of abolishing Courts-martial in times of peace.

So far as I am aware this Resolution has not been received. In accordance with the principle that a witness cannot be compelled to make any statement incriminating himself, Lieutenant Collard was warned that he need not answer certain questions. The same warning was given to the witnesses for the defence. All the circumstances of the case were taken into consideration by the Admiralty when the Minute was promulgated. As regards the last part of the Question, I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Stoke on Monday last.†

Arising out of the Answer may I ask if it is intended to substitute mechanicians for engine room artificers?

That does not arise out of the Answer.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will state the number of men who enlisted in His Majesty's Navy as stokers per month during the first eleven months of this year.

The number of men entered as stokers in His Majesty's Navy during the first eleven months of this year, as nearly as can be given from the weekly Returns, is as follows:—January, 518: February, 361; March, 381; April, 240; May, 254; June, 298; July, 346; August, 302; September, 361; October, 269; November, 295.

I beg to ask the Secretary

†See Col. 981.

to the Admiralty whether the attention of the Board of Admiralty has been drawn to certain leaflets that were distributed on the lower deck of all the ships at Portsmouth on the eve of the general election; whether he has any reports showing that the recent disturbances at Portsmouth were in any way due to the effect produced by those leaflets; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to prevent the distribution of such leaflets in the future.

My attention has been called to this matter by the hon. Member's Question and by a letter from him. The Admiralty have no reason to believe that these leaflets had any connection with disturbances which took place eleven months afterwards. As there is no evidence to show how the leaflets were in fact distributed, it is impossible to make any regulation on the subject.

asked whether it was not a fact that these leaflets contained misstatements of a remarkable kind; whether they were not in the nature of an incitement to insubordination; and whether it was not desirable that some steps should be taken to prevent in the future the distribution of leaflets of this kind.

Nobody knows how they came to be distributed.

asked whether the right hon. Gentleman would obtain the opinion of the commanding officers at Portsmouth as to whether these leaflets had anything to do with the disturbance. He understood that in their opinion they were directly responsible for it.

I should like notice of that Question.

asked whether it was not a fact that the only possible effect this innocent leaflet could have had was to convince members of the lower deck that they should vote for the present Members, and thus conduce to the great victory they had won.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that Messrs. Thorneycroft, Government contractors, Southampton, have sub-let some painting work on their new torpedo boat and on the trooper "Reiva"; whether the Admiralty countenance the sub-letting of contracts; and whether, seeing that these subcontractors are not paying the trade union rate of wages for the district, he proposes to take any steps to secure the observance of the fair wages resolution.

This Question only appeared on the Paper yesterday morning, and inquiries will be necessary before an Answer can be given.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the fact that the maximum rate of pay for bricklayers in Chatham Dockyard, namely, 33s. per week, is 1s. per week less than the maximum obtaining at Portsmouth Dockyard, he will have the maximum at Chatham raised to the same as that at Portsmouth.

Yes, Sir.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that a notice has been posted at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, informing the workmen employed there that they will not be paid wages for Christmas Day; whether, seeing that for many years past wages have been paid for this holiday, he will say whether the above-mentioned notice was posted with his sanction; and whether he will take steps to continue the custom that has prevailed for so many years.

This regulation applies to casual labour, but if wrongly applied at Greenwich will be withdrawn.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether, seeing that there is a deficiency of forty-two men and sixteen officers in the Stirlingshire Volunteer Battalion compared with 1st November, 1905, and that this deficiency is due in great measure to the scarcity and inconvenience of rifle ranges, and seeing that all the landlords who have been asked to sell or let ground for rifle ranges have refused, he will take steps to increase the number of rifle ranges, and, in the event of landlords unreasonably refusing to sell or let the necessary land, he will warn them that, under The Militia Act, 1882, they may be displaced from their Deputy-Lieutenancies.

I have dealt very fully in my Answer to the hon. Gentleman on the 3rd instant with the question of rifle ranges. As regards the last part of his Question, the Militia Act, 1882, provides that a Lieutenant shall displace a Deputy-Lieutenant whenever His Majesty may think fit to signify His pleasure, but I am not prepared on present information to issue any warning such as the hon. Member suggests.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is not the fact that the report recently made by combined military and civil medical men upon the condition of the Piershill Barracks, Edinburgh, expresses their concurrence in the following statement made by the: Director-General of the Army Medical Services—that "it is difficult to express in moderate language the conditions under which these officers are accommodated"; whether the report upon the men's accommodation was not also most unsatisfactory, and whether the following general statement was not also made, that the absence of actual cases of illness does not indicate freedom from grave danger, and whether in these circumstances he cannot see his way to make without delay some temporary arrangement in order to avoid the serious risks to which under existing circumstances both officers and men are undoubtedly exposed.

These reports confirm me in the opinion that as soon as accommodation elsewhere can be provided the cavalry should be removed from these barracks. As I have already said in reply to a supplementary Question put to me by the right hon. Gentleman on the 17th instant,†we do not regard the risks of the regiment remaining a little time longer to be substantial, and he will realise that the hasty adoption of temporary arrangements, especially at this time of the year, might lead to more serious results than those which he wishes me to avoid.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he will have a map of the North Western Frontier of India printed and circulated amongst Members of the House showing the statutory border of British India, British garrisons, railways (military and otherwise), and the physical character of the country lying between British India and the nearest Russian outposts.

The requirements of the case seem to be sufficiently mot by the map of the North West Frontier Province published with the Moral and Material Progress Report of 1900–1 which of course has been presented to Parliament. All the information that can be made public will be given in the maps of the forthcoming Gazetteer which will show the administrative border, the districts beyond it under direct British administration and "Native States" territory. But these maps will not be ready until the autumn of next year.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether it has yet been found possible to provide additional facilities for the education of children employed on the tea gardens in Assam and other Indian provinces.

The Question is still under the consideration of the Government of India. I will inquire how the matter now stands.

beg to ask the Secretary of State for

†See Col. 1014.

India if the Government of Bengal has given, or is about to give, special financial aid to St. Paul's School, Darjeeling, which is not available to other denominational schools.

I have no information on the subject, but if the hon. Member will communicate to me the information upon which his Question is founded, I will make inquiry.

:I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, what was the cost of the Government garrison Church at Colaba, Bombay, and by whom it was paid; what is the annual cost of maintaining that church, and by whom it is paid; whether the Presbyterian soldiers of the regiment of Royal Scots, and soldiers belonging to other non-episcopal denominations, have been refused the use of the church at hours which would not conflict with the present services; if so, on whose authority such leave was refused, and on what grounds; and whether steps will be taken to ensure something approximating equal opportunities for soldiers of all denominations in those garrison churches in India which have been built and are maintained by public money.

The cost was mot by private subscription and public revenues combined; it is maintained at the expense of the State. I do not know the actual amount. As to Presbyterian and other non-Anglican soldiers, I gave an Answer to a similiar Question on Monday.‡Permission to use the church regularly for Presbyterian services was withheld by the Bishop of Bombay, with whom the decision is held by law to lie, on the ground that a Presbyterian church was available during the cold weather. Arrangements have now been made, as to India generally, which will ensure in future adequate church accomodation for soldiers of all denominations.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether he is aware

‡See Col. 1266.

that the neighbouring British Protectorates are dependent to a considerable extent upon Portuguese East Africa for labour; and whether he will arrange that the requirements of such protectorates are not overlooked when the interests of individual groups of mines in the Transvaal are represented to the Administration of Mozambique.

The Secretary of State is aware that Portuguese native labour is employed in the neighbouring British Protectorates; he does not anticipate that the proposed arrangements with the Portuguese authorities would affect that supply; but he will take care that the Administrations of Protectorates likely to be interested have an opportunity of making any representations they may desire.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether, in view of the need for action in respect of the fast-disappearing foreshore at Chinde, he can make any statement as to what the Government proposes to do before Parliament rises.

His Majesty's Government is awaiting a reply from the Government of Portugal as to the matter, and it will be impossible to make any statement pending the receipt of the reply.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies when it is proposed to take steps to carry out the recommendations of the Commission on Primary Education in Ceylon, appointed in January, 1905, especially as regards the provision of adequate facilities for the education of the children of Indian coolies employed on the plantations in Ceylon.

I understand that the draft Ordinance for extending educational facilities in the country districts of Ceylon is still under the consideration of the Colonial Government and Legislature.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received a memorial, sent through the Governor of Natal, from MR. Joseph Baynes, a colonist of over fifty years standing and a member of the Legislative Council of Natal, anent certain grievances affecting the natives; and whether he has taken, or proposes to take, any action in connection therewith.

The Secretary of State has received such a document calling his attention to disabilities from which the natives are suffering and more particularly to the Game Law Consolidating Act, 1906. The Act in question is in operation and Ministers have pointed out that it contains no material alterations of the previously existing laws which, they say, have never been found to bear hardly on the native. The Secretary of State is not prepared to advise His Majesty to exercise his power of disallowance with respect to the Act. In regard to the other matters, MR. Baynes holds a seat in the Natal Parliament and has had and will have the opportunity of bringing his views before it. They are not matters in any respect outside the competence of that assembly.

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies what sum, if any, is set apart by this Government in assisting the importation of East Indian indentured immigrants to the West Indies.

No money is spent by His Majesty's Government in asssisting the importation of East Indian indentured immigrants into the West Indies.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has now received answers to the inquiries with reference to an order of the Soudan War Office prohibiting admission of the Cairo newspaper Al Minbar into the Soudan; and whether that order has now been rescinded, and, if not, upon what grounds is it maintained.

His Majesty's Agent and Consul-General in Cairo reports that the Governor-General of the Soudan exercises a discretionary power as to the newspapers which are allowed to circulate in that country, and that the circulation of Al Minbar and some others is prohibited. As regards the question raised by the hon. Member on November 15th last as to whether the Soudan is still under martial law,†I would refer him to Article 9 of the Anglo-Egyptian Convention of January 19th, 1899, which runs as follows:—"Until, and save so far as it shall be determined by Proclamation, the Soudan, with the exception of the town of Suakin, shall be and remain under martial law." This Article has not boon repealed, but it is of course only intended to be put into operation in exceptional cases. Laws and regulations, approved by His Majesty's Government and the Government of Egypt, and enforced through regularly constituted tribunals, are in vigour throughout the whole of Soudanese territory.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the complaints made by the British mercantile community of Newchwang as to the injury done to British trade by the evading by the Japanese of duties collectable by the Chinese Government on goods passed through the leased territory of Liaotung and across the northern boundaries of Manchuria, and by preferential railway rates; if he proposes to take any steps in regard thereto; and whether he is in a position to give any information as to when Newchwang will be evactuated by the Japanese.

His Majesty's Government understand that the establishment of a Customs station at Dalny depends upon the simultaneous establishment of a Customs station for goods entering Manchuria from the north, as to which negotiations are at present proceeding between the Russian and Chinese Governments. His Majesty's

†See (4) Debates, clxv., 100–101.

Government have no reason to believe, from inquiries they have made, that Japanese goods receive preferential railway rates on the Chinese Eastern Railway, as compared with other goods carried on the railway, but if they are furnished with any evidence to that effect further investigation will be made. The Japanese Consul at Newchwang notified his colleagues on the 5th instant that the military administration at that port would be withdrawn on the 6th.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the alleged compulsory detention of MR. George Duncan, M.A., late teacher of English at the Royal Staff College at Berlin, in the lunatic asylum at Buch, near Berlin; and whether he will direct immediate inquiries to be made into all the circumstances, with a view to his liberation or return to this country, of which he is a native.

The matter is before the Lunacy Commission, who are waiting for a translation of the judgment given by the German Court. If the hon. Member desires it, I shall be glad to let him see the translation and the medical opinions on MR. Duncan's condition.

I beg to ask MR. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider the desirability of legalising the issue of £1 bank-notes, under certain restrictions, so that the gold reserve would be increased and money would be at a less rate than is the case at present.

The permanent effect of an issue of £1 note son the gold reserve is a question upon which there is much difference of opinion. I cannot at this moment commit myself to any of the conflicting views; but, as I have said before, the question of gold reserves in all its aspects is engaging my careful attention.

I beg to ask MR. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the export trade in coffee and the duty collected on coffee have largely declined; that the General Committee of the London Chamber of Commerce has recorded a resolution to the effect that the requirements of the present Food and Drugs Act, in reference to forms of label, are not sufficient for the protection of the public; and that the law as to admixture and the declaration to the purchaser need to be greatly strengthened in the interest of the retail seller and the consumer of coffee; and whether he will introduce legislation requiring the use of a label specifying the proportion of coffee and of inferior substances in every admixture offered for sale as coffee. I beg also to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the consumption of coffee has largely decreased; that the admixtures sold by retail tradesmen as coffee contain from 70 to 90 per cent. of chicory; that the value of this root per pound is 3d. to 3¼d., as against 1s. 0½d. per pound for the berry: and whether he will propose legislation at an early date for the protection of coffee, coffee planters, and coffee consumers.

I do not know quite what my hon. friend means by the export trade in coffee.

Re-exports.

As regards the Customs import duties, I do not trace any systematic decline, and the figures for 1906, so far as they are available, do not appear to be appreciably below the average of the past ten years. I have not seen the resolution of the general committee of the London Chamber of Commerce on this subject, but the question of the protection of the consumer against food adulteration is not one with which it is my duty as Chancellor of the Exchequer to deal. The Inland Revenue labels are merely stamps denoting uniform rates of duty, irrespective of the quality of the mixtures to which they are affixed. I do not know what is the relative proportion of coffee and chicory in the admixtures sold by retail tradesmen, and, so long as the duties upon the two ingredients are practically equal, the matter does not directly concern the Exchequer. From the point of view of the revenue I see no reason for introducing legislation.

I beg to ask MR. Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that the notices to pay the income-tax are issued in Scotland from two to three months earlier than they are issued in England, and that a considerable number of persons in Scotland pay the income-tax early in November, some weeks before the notice to pay is issued to the tax-payers in England; and whether he will give instructions that notices to pay be issued on the same date in England as in Scotland.

It is true that the notice of assessment in Scotland also serves the purpose of the first demand note, while in England the notice of assessment is sent separately and the first demand follows at a later date. In each case, however, the demand is issued before 1st January, and makes it clear that there is no obligation to pay before that date. The subsequent demand notes, which are served before any proceedings are taken in cases of default, are issued at the same date in both countries. It appears to be not unusual in Scotland for the taxpayer to pay on receipt of the first notice and before the date on which the tax is legally exigible; but as I have said, there is nothing in the terms of the notice to suggest that he is under any obligation to do so. I need not say that I am most anxious that Scotland should be treated at least as well as any other part of the United Kingdom, and I believe that whatever grievance there may be has arisen from the superiority of the Scottish system, and from the greater promptitude and punctuality of the Scottish people in discharging their obligations.

:I beg to ask MR. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will arrange that with regard both to the sending out of notices and collection of taxes Scotland should be treated as fairly as other parts of the United Kingdom.

So far as pressure by the Revenue officers is concerned and the dates at which various degrees of pressure are exercised, the practice in the two countries is now absolutely identical. There is, it is true, a slight difference of procedure as regards the sending out of the notices of assessment and the first demand, on which I would refer my hon. friend to the reply which I have just given to the hon. Member for Central Edinburgh.

On behalf of the hon..Member for the City of London, I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether the percentage of recoveries in the Three Counties Asylum, Arlesey, where 32,800 gallons of beer were consumed last year, was larger than in any asylum in London or in any other part of England; and whether the cost per patient was also loss than in London or in any other part of England.

I beg to answer this Question on behalf of my right hon. friend. The percentage of recoveries in the Three Counties Asylum in the last year was 31·4 per cent., while in the London asylums (excluding the epileptic colony) it was 38·8 per cent., and in the asylums of England and Wales generally it was 37 per cent. The total average weekly cost of maintenance in the Three Counties Asylum was 9s. 6½d., while in the London asylums (excluding the epileptic colony) it was 11s. 3d., and in the asylums of England and Wales the average cost was 10s. 4d. But in the case of more than one-third of those asylums the cost of maintenance was less than at the Three Counties Asylum.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the death of Richard William West, aged fifteen, a porter employed at Messrs. Dakin and Co.'s tea warehouse, Cornwall Road, Lambeth, through putting on a driving belt while the machinery was in motion, and, in consequence of the jury expressing the opinion that the accident was the result of culpable negligence on the part of the firm in not having proper supervision of the whole of the work of the department, whether he will consider the possibility of taking criminal proceedings against the management of the firm; and whether, in view of the custom prevailing in all factories for driving belts to be put on the shafting wheels whilst the machinery is in full speed, he is prepared to issue an order to factory owners against allowing such a practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been directed to the inquest held at Lambeth, on 15th December, on Richard William West, aged fifteen years, when the coroner's jury expressed the opinion that death was the result of culpable negligence on the part of the Dakin Tea Company, and that more safeguards ought to be provided for the machinery, and when the coroner, MR. Troutbeck, commenting on the case, said that the deceased boy, who was described as a foreman, had had no training and no experience, that it was a case of child labour, and that the circumstances were such as to invite accidents; if he will state upon what dates in the past two years His Majesty's factory inspector, visited the Dakin Tea Company's warehouse; and what reports were made by the inspector as the result of his visits; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

I will answer with this the Question of my hon. friend the Member for North Paddington. I have received reports with regard to this accident, from which it appears that it was caused by the deceased attempting to fix a belt on the pulley of some overhead shafting while in motion. It was not due to any want of fencing or other breach of the Factory Act, and no proceedings are possible. The work was in my opinion such as a boy of fifteen should not have been allowed to perform, and I understand the firm have now arranged that the engineman shall have sole charge of the machinery. Visits were paid to this factory by inspectors in May, 1905, and in September and October, 1906, and instructions given with respect to the fencing of the machinery. I am not satisfied that proper supervision was exercised or proper precautions taken in this case, and I am making further inquiries.

inquired if it was the case that the factory inspector for this district had no acquaintance with practical engineering?

I will ascertain.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that, notwithstanding the recommendations of the Select Committee on Cabs and Omnibuses, the railway companies still refuse to open their London stations to other than privilege, cabs; and, if so, whether he will consider the advisability of introducing a short Bill in the next session of Parliament to compel them to do so.

I am taking action in this matter, but I fear I cannot say more at the present time.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the International Convention signed at Borne in September last applies to the night-work of women generally; whether, in addition to the two instances mentioned in the Memorandum, it extends to women employed in laundries; and, if so, whether this occupation will be included in the Bill to be presented to Parliament.

The Convention applies to night-work in industrial undertakings. The definition of "industrial undertaking" is left to each State to settle, but it must in every case include mines and quarries and industries in which articles are manufactured or materials transformed. The Convention imposes no obligation in respect of the hours of work in laundries. I propose to deal with that subject in the Bill which I hope to introduce next session to regulate the conditions of employment in laundries, and not in the Bill which will be introduced to fulfil the requirements of the Berne Convention.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to the prosecution, before the Accrington magistrates, of a boot and shoe retailer, under the Shop Hours Act, for selling his wares by public auction after the hour at which the boot and shoe shops must close under the local Order, and that the magistrates decided that he was entitled to carry on business by public auction unaffected by the Closing Order; and will he consider some amendment of the law which will prevent such breaches of the spirit and purpose of the Shop Hours Act.

I had not previously heard of the prosecution referred to; but I will obtain full information and consider carefully the point raised by the hon. Member.

:I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the- Home Department, in reference to the stoppage of workmen, at the North Western Railway works at Crewe, whether he is aware that the works manager stated that old workmen of very long service were dismissed in their own interest, inasmuch as they might meet with accidents because of age; and whether he can take any action to protect men from dismissal whose age is considered to involve risks for compensation or make other provision for suck men by railway regulations.

I have seen the newspaper report of the statement referred to, but I am afraid that I have no power to take any action in the matter.

I beg to ask the Prime Minister whether, owing to the action of the House of Lords in throwing out the Plural Voting Bill, which dealt solely with the representation of the people in the House of Commons, he will take steps to bring in further legislation dealing with the question of plural voting, and also the principle that the Commons should be the authority to decide how they should be elected.

I do not think that this is the most convenient moment for making a statement on this Question though I can quite understand the motives of my hon. friend in asking it.

:I beg to ask the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the fact that statistics show that Canadian cattle are the healthiest cattle in the world; and whether, in view of this, along with the knowledge that the majority of Liberal Members of the House have pledged themselves to free trade in this matter, he will promise legislation for the free importation, but with adequate inspection, of Canadian cattle.

I am afraid I cannot give my hon. friend the promise he desires. The House of Commons, in whose hands the Question was left, have decided against the view entertained by my hon. friend and a large number of other hon. Members on this side of the House. There the matter must remain until by another vote the House think proper to revise their decision.

I beg to ask the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the inquest held at Kensington on Miss E. Tibworth, who died in a convent at Notting Hill on Friday; whether the coroner said it was important to know something of the inner working of this place, which was more or loss outside the law; and whether he intends to take any steps to obtain such information.

said his attention had been drawn to the case, and he thought the hon. Member had correctly quoted the words of the coroner, who made an exhaustive inquiry into all the circumstances connected with the death of this lady. According to the medical evidence the death was due to syncope, and there was no sign of poisoning, and the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. Therefore he saw no reason to make any inquiry.

:I asked the right hon. Gentleman whether his attention had been called to the evidence of the doctor, who was not a Roman Catholic, but who bore testimony to the charity of the members of this congregation and to the good work they were doing; and that the coroner himself said he was delighted to hear it.

said he had only got the Report which he held in his hand. The inquiry was of an entirely satisfactory character.

pressed the right hon. Gentleman to say whether he intended to take any action on the coroner's words that these institutions were more or less outside the law.

:replied that he would be guided by the verdict of the jury.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether any decision has yet been arrived at by his Department anent the office of the official receivership in bankruptcy in the Merthyr district.

As the hon. Member has already been informed privately, the Board of Trade, having regard to the convenience of the North Glamorganshire Bankruptcy District as a whole, have decided that the new official receiver must have his office at Pontypridd.

said he left the decision of this matter in the hands of the Inspector General in Bankruptcy.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the circumstances attending the death by accident of a boy named Robert William Gill, aged fourteen, who was killed while engaged in shunting operations on the Easingwold railway; and if he can take steps to prevent young persons being employed on railways in dangerous work such as stoking or shunting.

This sad accident has been notified to the Board of Trade by the Railway Company concerned, and I have ordered an inquiry to be held by an officer of the Department.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the rearranged hours of duty of the gate signalmen at the St. George's Road and Hawthorn Avenue Level Crossings, Hull, North Eastern Railway, are for all men engaged at those cabins seven turns of twelve hours on night duty and six turns of twelve hours on day duty each week, without any clear Sunday off duty; whether he is aware that at the St. George's Road cabin there is one home, one distant, and one repeating signal on the up line, and a home and a distant signal on the down line, that at Hawthorn Avenue cabin there are home and distant signals on up and down lines, that gates are worked from each cabin, that bell signals are repeated through both cabins and have to be observed and obeyed, that an average of 200 trains pass in the twenty-four hours, and that between 5,000 and 6,000 people cross the lines each day; and whether he will make inquiries into the matter by one of the inspecting officers of his Department with a view of bringing about a reduction of the hours worked.

I understand that the regular hours of these men are as stated by the hon. Member, and that in changing from day to night duty or vice versa they have an interval off duty of twenty-four hours. I have no detailed information in regard to the particulars mentioned in the second part of the Question. In view, however, of the representations conveyed in the Question that the hours worked are excessive, I will cause full inquiry to be made in accordance with the Railway Regulation Act, 1893.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, if his attention has been called to the case of a goods guard at Wigan, on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, who worked twenty hours on the 13th instant, and another who worked twenty-two hours and ten minutes on the same day; whether he is aware that another who had worked over twenty-one hours was reprimanded because he refused to come on after only eight hours' rest; and whether, in view of the hours prevalent on this line, he will take special steps in the matter.

Yes, Sir. Upon the representations contained in a letter received from the hon. Member on the 15th instant I am causing careful inquiry to be made.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether any agreement is in existence authorising steamers belonging to English companies, which have been purchased by the International Mercantile Marine Company, and which are therefore foreign-owned, to fly the British flag; and whether, in view of the provision in the law that the burden of proving a title to the use of the British registry shall lie upon the users, he proposes to take any steps in the matter.

Article 2 of the trilateral agreement signed on the 1st August, 1903, between the Government and the International Mercantile Marine Company and certain British shipping companies stipulates that the British companies included in the Association shall continue to be British companies qualified to own British ships, and that a majority at least of their directors shall be British subjects. No agreement, however, would enable any ships to fly the British flag if it did not comply with the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894. I do not propose to take any steps in the matter.

Will the right hon. Gentleman inquire whether they are really British owned?

As long as they comply with the conditions of the Merchant Shipping Act I see no reason to do that.

Does this apply to foreign owned trawlers?

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if he has sent a letter to any of the distress committees stating that no money will be granted after March next from the £200,000 set aside by the Government last July for the relief of the unemployed; whether the whole £200,000 will all be granted between now and then, seeing that only £29,450 had been granted up to last Thursday evening, the 13th December; to eleven distress committees and whether grants have been refused to any distress committees who have made application for assistance.

The sum of £200,000 has been granted by Parliament to defray charges which will come in course of payment during the financial year ending on 31st March next. It will not be practicable that payments should be made out of it after that day, and I have so stated in a letter to the West Ham Distress Committee. I anticipate that I shall find it necessary to distribute the whole of the share of England and Wales in the grant by the end of the financial year, although, of course, I cannot at present state definitely that this will be the case. There have been instances in which I have not felt able to comply with applications of the kind referred to in the last part of the Question.

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the many cases coming before distress committees of applicants who have received temporary poor relief (other than medical relief) for their families when some member of the family was weak through prolonged privation, not knowing that thereby they became disqualified for relief under the Unemployed Workmen Act, 1905, he will take into consideration the expediency of restoring to local distress committees and the Central (unemployed) Body for London the discretionary powers they possessed of making exceptions in such cases under sub-division (1) of Article II. of the Regulations (Organisation for Unemployed), 1905, as amended by the temporary Regulations (Organisation for Unemployed), 1905 and 1906.

The discretionary powers referred to enabled assistance to be given under the Act in suitable cases to persons who had received Poor Law relief during a limited period. This period expired generally on 1st January last. The object was to meet cases in which hardship might have arisen from excluding persons who were compelled to have recourse to Poor Law relief before the Act was passed, or the distress committees were in a position to receive applications. The considerations which led to the temporary powers being given have now ceased to apply, and it does not appear to me that they could properly be extended as suggested. I may add that the Act was intended to deal with a class of persons who would not ordinarily come within the operation of the Poor Law.

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether, as the majority of persons detained in workhouses, sick asylums, and parochial schools are women and young children, he will consider the advisability of appointing women as general inspectors of the Local Government Board.

The general inspectors have important duties besides those in which the classes referred to are: concerned. I could not give any undertaking to appoint women to these inspectorships; but I may point out that there is an assistant lady inspector who visits Poor Law institutions in the Metropolitan district with special reference to women and children and to the sick.

But surely the right hon. Gentleman is aware that women are as competent as men to carry out the other duties?

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board what are the conditions governing the appointment of an assistant auditor of the Local Government Board; whether the appointment is by nomination; whether it is required that the person appointed shall have passed any examination in or possess any special knowledge of accounts; whether an assistant auditor is paid, and at what rate; and whether he will consider the advisability of requiring in future that all candidates for this position shall have passed some examination in accounts before appointment.

The existing conditions for the appointment of an assistant auditor are that the applicant shall be a chartered or incorporated accountant, or a barrister or solicitor, or have undergone a course of training with a district auditor, or have served in the Department of the Local Government Board. Appointments are made by the Board from persons who satisfy these conditions, and appear to t hem to be in other respects suited for the office, but no nomination is necessary. Nor is the passing of a special examination required; but I will take note of the suggestion that such a requirement should be made. The salaries of the assistant auditors range from £300 to £450 a year.

:I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if he will consider the desirability of introducing a Bill in the next session of Parliament to comprise the various clauses allowed during the sessions of 1904, 1905, and 1906, by the Police and Sanitary Committee in improvement Bills promoted by municipal and sanitary authorities, so as to enable local authorities without incurring the expense of promoting a Private Bill, to adopt all or any of the powers conferred by those clauses in the same manner as has been allowed by Parliament in the case of the Infectious Disease Prevention Act and the Public Health Amendment Act of 1890.

I will give early consideration to the suggestion, but I cannot make any promise as to the introduction of a Bill next session.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the registers kept by county councils containing the names of the owners of and the numbers of motorcars are open to the inspection of the public; and, if not, will he, in the public interest, take steps to make such registers open to inspection on payment of a nominal fee or on compliance with reasonable regulations.

My right hon. friend has asked me to reply to this Question. The registers referred to in it are not open to the inspection of the public, but a person can have a copy of the entries relating to any specified motor-car on payment of a fee of 1s., if he shows that he has a reasonable cause for requiring it. The point whether the registers should be open to inspection was considered by the Royal Commission on Motor Cars, but they did not think that sufficient cause had been shown for amending the regulation on the subject in the direction indicated. I will, however, note the suggestion.

said he was aware of the fact that the police sometimes had considerable difficulty in getting the names of owners, and, in his judgment, the police ought to have equal access with the public, under proper safeguards, to these registers, if there was real cause for looking at them. He was aware, too, that under certain circumstances owners of motor cars might be subjected to considerable annoyance, and perhaps intimidation, through their names and addresses becoming known to advertising touts if these registers were open without any qualification. The Royal Commission had that aspect of the question before it.

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if the urban district council, Ramsey, Hunts,, has given any explanation why the council has declined to apply for permission to put into operation the Parish Councils Act of; 1894, so that the council may acquire land by compulsory powers for allotments.

I communicated with the urban district council on this subject. They appear to have considered that the grounds on which it was desired that they should obtain the powers of a parish council under Section 10 of the Local Government Act, 1894, with regard to allotments, were, firstly, that more than one acre of land could then have been let to an applicant, and, secondly, that the lands could have been hired compulsorily. They point out, however, that if lands were hired compulsorily the council could only have allotted to an applicant either four acres of pasture land or three acres of pasture and one acre of arable land. But they say that there is no pasture land in many districts where the applicants reside, neither is there a desire for any, and that the result of the compulsory powers would have been that the applicants could have obtained one acre of arable land. This they can do now. It is further stated that the council are quite certain that lands taken under compulsory powers would be at a considerably higher rent than they now are, that wherever lands have been asked for they have been granted, and that more land has been offered to the council than they had applicants for.

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if he will, at the earliest opportunity, bring in a Bill for the purpose of amending the existing law of allotments by extending the compulsory power of purchase.

Local authorities can already purchase land compulsorily for allotment purposes. I presume, however, that my hon. friend desires that the law should be amended so as to confer on urban district councils in all cases the power which a parish council possess of hiring land compulsorily for allotment purposes. As he is aware, an urban district council can now obtain this power on application to the Local Government Board. I will take note of his suggestion, but I cannot promise to introduce a Bill on the subject.

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if it is the practice of the Board to decline to sanction in a loan for a permanent improvement any sum paid as wages to corporation workmen engaged on the work, while no such deduction for wages is made if the work be done by private contractors; if he is aware that at a recent inquiry at Wrexham the inspector of the Board was unable to give any reason for such a practice, and that the borough accountant said he had never been able to understand on what principle the rule was based; and whether, in view of the discouragement to direct employment by this rule, he will withdraw it.

The view taken by the Local Government Board is that the wages of workmen permanently employed by a local authority should not be paid out of borrowed money, and consequently it is their practice to exclude from the amount to be borrowed for works to be executed by the authority any sums which would be paid in respect of such wages. I have no information as to what the inspector said on this subject at the inquiry at Wrexham, but I understand that in that case the sum proposed to be borrowed did not include any sum to be paid to the regular staff of the town council. There docs not appear to me to be any sufficient reason for altering the rule in this matter. My hon. friend will observe that the rule only applies where the workmen are permanently employed by the local authority, and does not prevent the authority from carrying out works themselves by means of men engaged for the purpose.

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if his attention has been called to an admission by the chairman of the Bedwellty Board of Guardians that he and several other members of the Board regularly sent casks of beer to the Tredegar workhouse for the use of the guardians at their meetings, and that although he had supplied nine barrels he understood that his turn to send one had again arrived; and if he will at once take steps to prevent a continuance of this practice.

My attention has not previously been called to this matter. I will make inquiry with regard to it.

I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the fact that at Gainsborough and Bournemouth skilled telegraphists have been compelled to perform the sorting of letters owing to Christmas pressure; whether he is aware that married women who have been telegraphists, and whose husbands are in constant employment in the postal service, have been given temporary employment to perform telegraph work; and whether, in view of the amount of unemployment among ordinary workpeople, he will direct that the telegraphists should be sent back to perform their own duties, while the requirements of the Post Office for letter-sorting can be met by the employment of casual labour.

I will have inquiry made into the matter.

I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that a postman at Chorley, Lancashire, with fifteen years service, has been promoted to position of senior postman over the heads of other postmen who have over twenty-six years service; and whether he can state the reason why this man was promoted in preference to those men with longer service.

No promotion has yet been made. But in any case the most suitable officer will be selected for the vacancy.

I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that at the district office of Battersea, at Lavender Hill, there is no copy of the register of telegraphic addresses; and that there is no copy obtainable nearer than at the office at South Side, Clapham Common, which is at least one mile distant from the Lavender Hill office; and whether he will take steps to rectify this omission in order to prevent the inconvenience at present occasioned to persons using the Battersea district office for telegraphic purposes.

Registers of telegraphic addresses are not supplied officially for the use of the public at any post office. The copy at the sub-office the hon. Member refers to is no doubt the private property of the sub-postmaster, who allows his customers to consult it.

said he was not sure that those who had registered addresses would care to have them thrown open to the public.

I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that men between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-six years are employed in the engineering department of the Manchester Post Office who only received 17s. to 21s. per week; that some of these paid below £1 are reservists; and whether he can take any steps to increase their pay.

I will have inquiry made into the matter.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the Board's circulars in November last to local education authorities, to the effect that after 15th December, 1906, the appellation of National will be omitted altogether from the official list of schools, and suggesting for that term the epithet Church of England should be substituted, he will substitute for the nomenclature of National, British, or Church of England, the name of Non-provided, associated with the village or township in single-school areas or the street in districts where there are two or more schools, in order that denominational control may not be emphasised; and whether he will delay the publication of the new official list of schools for such a period as will enable local education authorities to give due consideration to the recommendation of their district sub-committees upon the subject.

The hon. Member has, I think, slightly misunderstood the purpose and the effects of the changes proposed in the circular. In the great majority of cases the excision of the word National from the title of the schools will not necessitate the insertion of any other phrase—Church of England or anything else—in its place. It is only in the small minority of cases, where the excision would cause confusion between one school and another, that a new distinctive term of some kind is required; and there are certain advantages, while our present system continues, in letting the name of the school indicate plainly to the parents of the children what is the nature of the school's religious instruction and of its management, since this facilitates both the parents' choice of a school and also their use of the conscience clause. I am aware, however, that there are some disadvantages as well as advantages in the arrangement; and I will give careful consideration to the point suggested by the hon. Member, though I doubt whether the precise method suggested by him would be feasible in large numbers of rural and semi-rural cases.

May we have an Answer to the second portion of the Question? Can the right hon. Gentleman postpone the publication of the new official list?

No; I do not think I can postpone the new official list, but it will be of a temporary character, and I shall be quite open to consider the objections of the hon. Gentleman, and shall be happy to consider any objections submitted to me.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education, how long the legal question connected with the teachers in Swansea schools has been before the law officers, and whether he will be able, before the end of the session, to make any statement upon a question affecting the livelihood of a number of those employed in those schools.

This is, I think, the eighth or ninth Question that the noble Lord has put to me, in the last few days, on this case. My Answer must be the same that I gave on the seventeenth and on the tenth of this month, viz., that I am not yet in a position, nor can I yet say when I shall be in a position, to say by what date I shall be in possession of the legal advice I must have before I can determine judicially the question referred to by the noble Lord as to teachers' salaries. I may add that I understand the local authority is continuing to pay in full the same salaries that these teachers have been hitherto receiving in these schools.

I beg to ask the first Commissioner of Works whether a number of men have recently been discharged at the central parks, the reason assigned being that the work they were engaged upon is now finished; whether he is aware that one of the men has been employed regularly for three years; and whether the paying off of men at this time of the year can be obviated, as is the case at several of the other parks.

Some casual labourers recently employed for short periods in the parks have been discharged on the completion of the work for which they were engaged, such as road repairs and the cleaning of the lake in St. James's Park. One labourer thus discharged had enjoyed a succession of jobs for three years; the other men had only been employed for a few months. I endeavour to arrange that as much work as is practicable shall be done in the winter, and I have spared no pains to obviate the misfortune of discharges at this time of year.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury if his attention has been drawn to a case decided on 1st November ultimo, by a Divisional Court of the King's Bench Division, under which it was held that certain hotels at Bedford having drinking bars with a rateable value over £25 were not entitled to claim any reduction in the compensation charge under the Licensing Act, 1904, which had been granted to them by the Bedford justices; whether he has any information showing in how many cases such a reduction has been allowed; and if he will take steps to see that where such exceptions have been granted in error the payments due shall be recovered.

The Board of Inland Revenue inform me that they have received no full Report of the proceedings or judgment in this case, although they have observed certain references to it in the newspapers. In these circumstances it is difficult to say as yet what cases mayor may not be analogous to it—or how many of them there may be. In any event I understand it is extremely doubtful whether it would be possible to recover charges not paid in full in past years; although of course care will be taken to insist on full payment in future.

I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the attention of the President of the Board of Agriculture has been directed to the shortage in the supply of cattle and sheep in the metropolitan markets and the consequent increase in the price of fresh-killed beef and mutton; and whether he will consider the advisability of removing the existing prohibition against the importation of cattle and sheep for immediate slaughter from Holland and Denmark, both of which have been officially declared to be free from foot-and-mouth disease.

My hon. friend is unfortunately not correctly informed as to the freedom of Holland from foot and mouth disease, for two cases of that disease are reported to us officially as having occurred at Helden on the 1st inst. My hon. friend, will, I think, see that this fact affords another illustration of the danger of assuming that because any particular country is free from disease at any particular moment no danger attaches to the importation of animals therefrom into this country. Our information is not very precise as to the extent of any shortage of supply and advance of prices, but any failure on the part of the Board adequately to discharge their statutory duty under the Diseases of Animals Acts would, we are satisfied, speedily have the contrary effect to that which my hon. friend desires.

In view of the heavy rise in price of both beef and mutton, will my hon. friend consent to admit cattle and sheep from countries officially declared free from disease?

I can add nothing to my reply.

Is this a Free Trade Government on general policy, but strongly Protectionist in regard to agricultural matters?

It is a Free Trade Government.

I beg to ask the hon. Member for Mid. Derbyshire, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, if he can see his way to grant a retaining fee to the waiters of the House during the Christmas recess.

I regret the funds at the disposal of the Kitchen Committee prevent them adopting the hon. Member's suggestion.

In the same connection, may I ask whether an English translation of the menu-cards will be provided?

I do not think it would be desirable to alter the cards, but if it will meet the convenience of my hon. friend I will undertake that a French dictionary is provided.

Will the hon. Member provide a French dictionary for the waiters, in whose interests I put the Question.

Will he at the same time have the menu printed in Gaelic?

I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that in the recent licensing court for the Clydebank division of Dumbartonshire one of the magistrates who assisted in granting six licences had signed a petition in favour of one of the applicants, and that this petition was actually presented in court whilst the magistrate occupied a seat on the bench; and whether he proposes to inquire into the validity of a licence granted under such circumstances.

The Secretary for Scotland has made inquiries on the point raised by the hon. Member and is informed that "No magistrate sitting in the Burgh Licensing Court signed any petition in favour of any of the six licenses granted in the court" to which the hon Member refers.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Congested Districts Board have received resolution, adopted by the Cahirciveen Ratepayers' Protective Association on the 3rd instant, urging that a grant should be given towards improving and enlarging the Cahirciveen Pier, seeing that Trinity College has been required by the Board of Trade to carry out some little improvements there in lieu of encroachments for building purposes made by that body; and whether effect will be given to this resolution by the Congested Districts Board.

I am informed that the resolution in question has been received and will be considered by the Congested Districts Board at their next meeting on 11th January.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Congested Districts Board have discontinued improvement works on the estate of Dr. Bird, at Kilcrohane, county Cork; and, if so, whether, in view of the bad crop of potatoes in that district, he will suggest the works be recommenced to mitigate the sufferings of the small farmers.

I am informed by the Congested Districts Board that their improvement works on the Bird estate generally are completed, but some further work has to be done in the town-lands of Eskeragh and Ballyeiragh, and this will be put in hand as soon as possible after Christmas.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether a number of representations have been made for sites and allotments for labourers on the King-Harman estate; whether an inquiry is now pending on the scheme; and, if so, whether care will be taken that the land is not otherwise disposed of till the result of the inquiry is made known.

The Local Government Board are aware that a number of representations have been made for sites for labourers' cottages on the estate mentioned. The Board's Inquiry cannot, however, be held for some time to come, as additional representations may be lodged up to the 1st February. The Estates Commissioners have received communications from the rural district council in respect of sites for labourers' cottages on this estate, and will consider the council's views in the matter upon the allocation of any untenanted land still undisposed of.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the case of MR. M'Dermott, rate collector, Boyle, who has been forced to pay out of his own pocket the full amount of certain un-collectable rates in his district; and whether anything can be done to relieve him of the burden.