To ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the number of capital ships now in commission in the navies of France, Russia, Germany, and Great Britain respectively. (Answered by Mr. McKenna.) I am not aware what interpretation my hon. friend places upon the term "capital ships." The number of first-class battleships now in commission is as follows:—

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will lay upon the Table of the House the new French tariff, so far as it has been published, and cause the same to be circulated among chambers of commerce in this country, in order that His Majesty's Government may be informed of the character of the representations which may most usefully be made to the French Government in the interests of British and Irish traders. (Answered by Mr. Churchill.) The right hon. Gentleman may be assured that the subject of the projected new French tariff is receiving my careful attention, and that I shall not fail to consult the chambers of commerce through the Advisory Committee of the Board of Trade on Commercial Intelligence with regard to it when matters are further advanced. The new tariff proposals are those of the Customs Commission of the Chamber of Deputies and not of the French Government, and the Commission have up to the present only published a small portion of their recommendations. I understand, however, that their complete recommendations will shortly be made public and as soon as they are received I will see that they are laid upon the Table of the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been drawn to the increased number of items separately tariffed under the proposed new french tariff, and to the finer differentiation and more extended classification which is characteristic of all revisions of foreign tariffs in recent years; and, seeing that these changes tend to annul the value of our mostfavoured-nation treaties, will he say what steps His Majesty's Government propose in order to regain the advantages in foreign markets which these treaties were designed to give us. (Answered by Mr. Churchill.) I am aware of the tendency towards more minute classification of foreign tariffs. The subject raised in the last part of the Question is too wide and controversial to be dealt with in an answer to a question.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been drawn to the proceedings of the Ways and Means Committee of the United States Congress on the subject of the tariff revision of that country, and especially to the declared policy of the Republican Party now in power to introduce a maximum and a minimum system of tariffs; and whether he can inform the House of the steps he proposes to take to acquaint himself with the probable effect of those changes on British and Imperial interests, and to make such representations as may be necessary to the proper authorities in the United States. (Answered by Mr. Churchill.) My attention has been drawn to this matter, and I am already in communication with the principal chambers of commerce with regard to it.

To ask the President of the Board of Education whether he will, either by legislation, if necessary, or, if not, by administrative action, provide the means to enable local education authorities to proceed against parents who wilfully withhold their children from medical inspection and thereby reduce the effectiveness of Section 13 (1) (b.) of the Education (Administrative Provisions) Act, 1907. (Answered by Mr. Runciman.) The Board have reason to believe that the number of children withheld by their parents from medical inspection is inconsiderable, and that as the benefits of such inspection become better known the number will decrease. At present the Board do not consider that any special action on their part is required or is desirable.

To ask the President of the Board of Education whether the provisions of Clause 3, subsection (4), on page 5, of the Education Bill (No. 2), exclude the schools of the British Schools' Association or other similar associations of schools from such liberties and advantages as may be enjoyed by the schools of the National Society. (Answered by Mr. Runciman.) This Question does not now arise.

To ask the Postmaster-General under what circumstances he has refused to recognise officially the duly-constituted association of Post Office writers, seeing that he has announced to the staff generally his readiness to recognise any duly-constituted organisation or federation of postal servants, and has already granted that privilege, not only to the service associations generally, but, in the case of the London postmen, to two distinct organisations; and whether he is prepared to reconsider his decision, with a view to removing the disabilities under which the members of the Writers Association now labour. (Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The officers to whom the hon. Member refers are members of the general class or sorters employed temporarily on writing duties, and, as I have already informed them, I am not prepared to recognise more than one association as representing the class to which they belong.

To ask the Postmaster-General, whether he is aware that a vacancy in the telegraph service at Dromod, County Leitrim, has recently been filled by the appointment of a person who had no previous Post Office experience, and was admitted as a learner at the age of thirty; were there any other, and how many, applications by qualified persons for the vacancy: is he aware that this applicant was, until shortly before his appointment, employed in commercial business in London; and whether he will take steps to prevent such appointments, seeing that they operate injuriously in causing stagnation in promotion of men in the Postal Telegraph Service. (Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The vacancy to which the hon. Member refers is apparently that for an assistant to the sub-postmistress of Dromod. It is not an established post. For that situation there were three candidates. One of these was only seventeen years of age and was considered unsuitable, as the position demanded the performance of night duty on alternate weeks. The appointment of another candidate was considered undesirable in view of his previous record in the Post Office. The remaining candidate who was selected is the husband of the sub-postmistress, and is considered the most suitable for the situation; his appointment is, of course, subject to the attainment of full qualifications within a reasonable time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that large numbers of children of tender years are sent to the Continent from this country under contracts for public performances; that these children perform in Continental halls where, in consequence of their environment, they are placed under temptations that are detrimental to their moral welfare; and that the hours of work are such as are not permitted in England; and whether, having regard to the legislation recently enacted in England for the protection of children, he will consider whether steps can be taken to prohibit the transference of young children to the Continent for the above-mentioned purposes. (Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.) The only such case of which I have heard in which a troupe of young children was sent out to perform as dancers at a place of amusement on the Continent is now forming the subject of inquiry. I shall be glad to consider any facts on this head with which the hon. Member can furnish me. My attention has been drawn from time to time to cases of young, girls engaged to perform in Continental music halls under very unfavourable conditions, and representations have been made on the subject to authorities abroad. I understand that the London County Council are considering the question of applying to Parliament for power to control the theatrical agencies through which such performers are engaged.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state, relative to advances which were made by the Congested Districts Board in cases of resales to tenants in the year ended 31st October, 1908, the county, number of estates, number of tenant purchasers, total rental, total advances and number of years purchase of the rental.

To ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the actual formation of an association of ex-Volunteers at Gloucester; and whether the Government, by way of encouraging the formation of similar valuable organised Reserves in other big towns in the country, could see their way to a grant of free ammunition to the members of such associations. (Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) The War Office has no official information regarding this association, and for obvious reasons it will not encourage such bodies. Under the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act powers exist far forming a Reserve for the Territorial Force; and later on, when men who have completed their service with the Colours in the Territorial Force have begun to pass out, the question of forming a Reserve will be taken up in conjunction with the County Associations.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that on the D. A. Boyton estate, at Tully-donnell, County Donegal, the tenant purchasers are obliged to pay, pending the advance of the purchase-money, interest at the rate of 4½ per cent. in lieu of 2¾ per cent., as provided by the Purchase Act of 1903; and can he give any indication how long this extra charge will continue. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The interest referred to is that payable under Section 35 of the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act, 1896, from the date of the purchase agreement to the date of the making of the advance, and the rate of interest payable is a matter of agreement between the parties. The Land Commission inform me that there are some 186 tenants on the estate in question, and the rate of interest payable varies in the different cases from 3¾ to 5 per cent. Having regard to the place of this estate in the order of priority, it is not likely that the advance can be made for upwards of a year.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state for how many years back there is a record of samples taken under the provisions of the Food and Drugs Act in Cavan; for how many counties are similar records kept; what steps are taken to secure that the results? of analysis are scientifically accurate; and will he say, of the 680 samples submitted in Cavan in 1907, how many were analysed by the public analyst, and how many by deputy. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Local Government Board inform me that they are satisfied as to the qualifications of the analyst for County Cavan. There is no official information as to the other matters referred to in the Question.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether a Mrs. Tiernan, on the estate of the Trustees of Hussey, Rathkenny, County Meath, purchased her holding; and, if so, how much money was, or will be, advanced to her for the purpose. To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Estates Commissioners received a memorial from the inhabitants of Rathkenny, County Meath, asking them to purchase the untenanted land on the estate of the Trustees of Hussey for distribution among the occupiers of uneconomical holdings in the district, and, having regard to the fact that the people were willing to take the land, upon whose authority the Commissioners decided that the land was unfit for distribution; whether the Commissioners propose to advance money, and how much, to Mr. John Tiernan for the purchase of land on this estate that he held on the eleven months system; if they are aware that he is the only son of a lady who holds many hundred acres of land, and that it reverts to him on her death; and under what section of the Land Act of 1903 the advance will be made. To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, when the estate of the Trustees of Hussey, Rathkenny, County Meath, was sold to the occupying tenants, and the purchase agreements lodged with the Estates Commissioners, any agreement was lodged by John Tiernan for the 201 acres it is now alleged the owner sold him; if not, when was the purchase agreement lodged and upon what date was the tenancy created; whether and to what amount the Commissioners are empowered to advance money for the purchase of tenancies created since the passing of the Land Act of 1903; and whether, before advancing cash to John Tiernan, they will make further inquiries into his ability to farm the land he occupies. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) I will reply to these three Questions together. The Estates Commissioners inform me that an advance of £5764 has been made to Mrs. Tiernan for the purchase of a holding on this estate, held by her prior to the sale on a lease made in 1886 for a long term of years. The Commissioners received and fully considered the Memorial of the inhabitants of Rathkenny, but did not consider that, having regard to all the circumstances, they could comply with it. I have already explained to the hon. Member the circumstances in which the 201 acres were sold to Mr. John Tierman, who was in immediate occupation. The Commissioners cannot say whether he is or is not an only son and his mother's heir. The lands have been vested in him, and an advance of £4,422 has been made to him for the purchase. The matter is therefore closed. The residue of the lands referred to is being distributed among small occupiers.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state from what funds it is proposed to pay the inspectors to be appointed by the Irish Intermediate Board. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The inspectors appointed by the Intermediate Education Board for Ireland will be paid from funds of that Board.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the resolutions passed by local authorities in County Down and other parts of Ireland in opposition to the proposed validation of the Public Bodies Order of 1904; and whether these representations will receive his personal consideration. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) I am aware that resolutions have been adopted by several local authorities in opposition to the clause in the Local Government Amendment Bill for the validation of the Public Bodies Order of 1904. These resolutions will receive consideration.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that at the trial of the Riverstown prisoners at Limerick on Tuesday last the Crown ordered thirty-one jurors to stand by; and whether, in view of the pledge given by the Attorney-General for Ireland in this House, he will say what action he proposes to take in the matter. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) My right hon. friend the Attorney-General has inquired into this matter. The Crown Solicitor for the County of Sligo informs him that the reason why he ordered so many jurors to stand aside in the case referred to was because he had trustworthy information that an active canvass of the jurors had been made on behalf of the prisoners, and that persons had actually come from Sligo to Limerick for the purpose of influencing the jurors. The Crown Solicitor was bound to exclude from the jury all persons whom he had reason to believe had been influenced by this improper practice, and who would, in his opinion, have been hindered thereby from giving an impartial verdict. In taking this course the Crown Solicitor was acting strictly within his instructions and not in violation of any pledge given by my right hon. friend in this House or elsewhere.

To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the strength of the preventive force in Southern Nigeria, its organisation, distribution, and duties. (Answered by Colonel Seely.) The preventive service in Southern Nigeria is carried out partly by the water police, of whom there are twenty-one in the Eastern and fifteen in the Western Province. The only land frontier which at present requires special supervision is a portion of the boundary between Southern Nigeria and Dahomey, where a force of twenty-five men is employed. These can be supplemented, if required, from the ordinary police. The duty of the preventive force is to prevent smuggling.

To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the nature, strength, and distribution of the police force in Southern Nigeria, particularly in the larger towns of the western, middle, and eastern districts. (Answered by Colonel Seely.) The police in Southern Nigeria is an armed and disciplined force of African natives. The actual strength in 1907 was 1,122 rank and file, with twelve African and ten European officers. The distribution was: Western Province, 536, Central, 247; and Eastern, 339. The force stationed in the six most important centres was: Lagos, 303; Calabar, 119; Warri and Gana Gana, 66; Benin, 25; Forcados and Burutu, 22; Sapele, 21. The large towns of Ibadan and Abeokuta are not policed by the Southern Nigeria force, but provide their own police.

To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether there are any distilleries of spirits in Southern Nigeria, or in any other of our West African territories; and whether, if any exist, they are owned by natives or Europeans. (Answered by Colonel Seely.) I am not aware of the existence of any distilleries in the West African Colonies, but inquiry will be made of the local governments on this point.

To ask the President of the Local Government Board if his attention has been directed to the recent decision of the Court of Appeal, holding the Central (Unemployed) Body liable for accidents to workmen employed by them under the Unemployment Act; was this liability foreseen and covered by insurance; and, if not, out of what funds will the liability be met. (Answered by Mr. John Burns.) I am aware of the decision referred to. I understand that from January, 1906, to July, 1907, workmen were insured by the Central Body with a firm of underwriters, and that since the latter date all risks of the kind mentioned are covered by an inclusive policy of insurance effected by the Central Body with the Employers' Liability Assurance Corporation.

To ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his Department forbid local authorities to give a higher rate for outdoor relief than 3s. weekly.Answered by Mr. John Burns.) The reply is in the negative.

To ask Mr. Solicitor-General for Ireland whether he can state the application of the Pensions Act in the case where a male applicant being one of a married couple living together in the same house having an income of £2 per annum and his wife no income; and whether he is entitled to a pension under the Act, being otherwise eligible. (Answered by Mr. Redmond Barry.) I assume that £2 is a misprint for £32 and, this being so, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the President of the Local Government Board to a similar Question asked by the hon. Member for the Blackfriars Division of Glasgow on the 9th ultimo.

To ask the Secretary for Scotland, in view of the fact that there is a population of nearly 30,000 in the Island of Lewis, will he state the extent of the accommodation for cases of infectious disease in the isolation hospital at Stornoway. (Answered by Mr. Sinclair.) I am informed that the hospital referred to contains ten beds.

To ask the Secretary for Scotland, in view of the complaints from the inhabitants of Stornoway in regard to the insanitary conditions arising from the dumping of refuse on the Alexandra Embankment, Stornoway, will he state whether the Local Government Board have yet heard from the sanitary authorities on the subject, and what steps are being taken in order to secure an abatement of the nuisance. (Answered by Mr. Sinclair.) I understand that steps are being taken to abate the nuisance, but as action has been taken by the procurator fiscal and the case is now before the sheriff it is not proper that I should enter into detail.

To ask the President of the Local Government Board whether there are any women inspectors or clerks in the first or second division in his Department; and, if any, will he give the number, respectively. (Answered by Mr. John Burns.) The staff of the Local Government Board includes four female inspectors and also twenty-five female typists. There are no female first or second division clerks in the Department.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether there are any women inspectors or clerks in the first or second division in his Department; and, if any, will he give the number respectively. (Answered by Mr. Churchill.) There are no women inspectors or clerks on the establishment of the Board of Trade. There is a senior investigator for women's industries and an assistant investigator.

To ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether there are any women inspectors or clerks in the first or second division in this Department; and, if any, will he give the number respectively. (Answered by Sir Edward Strachey.) There are no women inspectors or clerks employed by the Board other than women typists, of whom there are fifteen.

To ask the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the number of officers and men borne in all the ships in commission in the Royal Navy, the number employed in the dockyards and other special work, and the number in naval barracks. (Answered by Mr. McKenna.) According to latest available Returns, the Answer to the first part of the Question is 121,499; the Answer to the second part of the Question is 1,824; and the Answer to the third part of the Question is 12,357, a number which is included also in the first figure given.

To ask Mr. Attorney-General whether the Public Trustee may have transferred to himself shares in joint stock companies upon which there is an uncalled liability; if so, whether the Public Trustee is liable to pay calls that may be made subsequently upon such shares; and whether this is included in the liabilities which may be placed upon the Consolidated Fund under Section 7 of the Public Trustee Act, 1907. (Answered by Sir William Robson.) The Public Trustee may, if he accepts the trust, have, transferred to himself shares in joint stock companies upon which there is an uncalled liability. The question as to his liability in such cases is one of law depending on the construction and effect of Sections 2 and 7 of the Act of 1906 and of the rules made or to be made thereunder as applied to the circumstances of the particular case.

TO ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received representations from local authorities in favour of a grant from the Imperial Exchequer, so that the rate of outdoor relief to deserving paupers over seventy may be made up to the amount which would be paid weekly if they were receiving an old-age pension; and, if so, what action he proposes to take. (Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) I have received such representations from the Arbroath and St. Vigeans Parish Council, but I am not, as at present advised, in favour of dealing with the matter in the manner suggested. The whole question will be carefully considered when an opportunity arises for dealing with the disqualification on account of poor relief generally.

To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the great pressure of work which is placed upon the old-age pension officers during the initiation of the scheme, and the inconvenience and possible loss entailed upon the prospective pensioners who, as at present arranged, will have to remain at home to receive their pension order books which are to be personally delivered to them by the pension officers, he will give instructions for the books to be sent by registered post in the case of those persons to whom pensions will be payable on the first Friday in January next. (Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) I am afraid that it would not be practicable to adopt this suggestion. The pension officer is required to witness the pensioner's signature upon the cover of the book. If this requirement were dispensed with the danger of the use of the books by unauthorised persons would be very seriously increased.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the powers of the Local Government Board under Section 29, subsection (3), of the Labourers Act of 1906, and of the fact that the labourers in the Moira Rural District Council, for whom cottages have been erected, have requested the Local Government Board to fix the fair rents of these cottages, and that the Local Government Board has informed the Moira Rural District Council that these rents ought to be submitted for their approval, he will say if the Moria Rural District Council has refused to do so; and, if so, what action is proposed to be taken to compel the administration of this section of the Labourers Act of 1906. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The fixing of rents for cottages erected under the Labourers Acts is a matter for the local authority and not for the Local Government Board. The Board have called the attention of the Moira Rural District Council to Section 29 of the Labourers Act of 1906, which provides that the council shall make and submit to the Board regulations for the letting of cottages and allotments, containing amongst other things a schedule of rents. The council have postponed the consideration of the matter till their next monthly meeting, and the Board will await their further action before deciding what steps, if any, should be taken.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether a petition has been received from the workmen engaged in His Majesty's dockyard at Devonport asking that the Order prohibiting them from leaving the dockyard during the interval allowed for the midday meal on Fridays should be withdrawn; and whether, in view of the fact that the men are not on duty and are not paid for the time, the Admiralty is prepared to accede to the request.

A petition has been received from some of the workmen employed in Devonport dockyard, asking that such of the workmen as desire to do so may be permitted to leave the yard during the three-quarters of an hour mid-day meal on Fridays. The petition is still under consideration.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in order to prevent needless alarm being caused by the reports in the Press of a speech by Rear-Admiral Finnis, he will state how many vessels were under the command of the Rear-Admiral, representing, as alleged by him, a fleet of transports carrying 70,000 men, when he successfully eluded the British defending force in a fog and reached the coast of Scotland unobserved. I beg also to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to statements made by Rear-Admiral Finnis, in a speech at Dover, on 2nd December; whether the alleged successful invasion of Scotland by a fleet supposed to represent transports carrying 70,000 men, under the command of Rear-Admiral Finnis, was a part of secret manœuvres on which all information has been withheld from the House; and what steps he proposes to take in reference to the matter.

Rear-Admiral Finnis has been on half-pay since January last. He was not entrusted with any command at the recent manœuvres. In reply to inquiries as to the speech which he is reported to have made, Admiral Finnis states: "This report is a great misrepresentation and exaggeration of a very small part of the speech I made, and needless to say is not correct; the words 'during manœuvres,' etc., etc., and many others, were of course never used." I am taking further steps to discover the precise language used by Admiral Finnis. No such incident as is alluded to in the report of the speech, occurred in the manœuvres, nor did anything happen which could in the smallest degree give the slightest foundation for such a statement. I trust that with this information the public alarm which my hon. friend apprehends may be prevented.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, in view of the fact that H.M.S. "Barfleur" in a period of forty months ending 1st June, 1908, had nine successive captains, whether he can state what steps the Board are taking to prevent the evils arising from the undue frequency with which the captains of His Majesty's ships are shifted about.

My hon. friend has referred to the case of only one of His Majesty's ships, the "Barfleur," which is in the Special Reserve. The captains of His Majesty's ships are not shifted about with avoidable frequency, and it is not considered necessary to take any steps as suggested by my hon. friend.

Will it be possible for my right hon. friend to grant a return in regard to the commands of ships generally?

No, Sir. I am quite satisfied that the captains of His Majesty's ships are not shifted with any avoidable frequency.

Is there any special reason why the captains of the "Barfleur" were shifted so very frequently? Is the "Barfleur" used as a training ship for captains?

No, Sir. The "Barfleur" was used for sending out to China a new crow for the "Vengeance" and for bringing back the old crew, and, as the old crew were time-expired men, they were paid off, and at the same time the captain was changed. That was the special reason I gave.

But that applies to only three out of the nine captains.

It applies to four captains. With regard to the other changes, I explained that in one case the captain was only in command a few days because another captain unexpectedly retired from the service.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state whether, in the opinion of his naval advisers, the four 7·5 guns carried in the "Natal," "Achilles," "Cochrane," and "Warrior" are equal as an anti-torpedo armament to the ten 6-inch guns carried by the two vessels of similar class, the "Duke of Edinburgh" and the "Black Prince."

I am not prepared to discuss, in answer to a Parliamentary Question, the comparative merits of different types of gun as an anti-torpedo craft armament. There is much difference of professional opinion on the subject.

Does the right hon. Gentleman adhere to the opinion that the armaments afford adequate protection?

Yes, I do not think I can go beyond my present statement and say I am not prepared to discuss the matter.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty what constitutes the secondary or anti-torpedo armament of the "Bellerophon" class and the "St. Vincent" class respectively.

When no longer confidential, details of the armament of these ships will be published in the Return which stands in the name of my right hon. friend the Member for the Forest of Dean.

Will the right hon. Gentleman try and secure that in future the Return is published a little earlier, as the information comes too late to be of use here?

Yes, I greatly regret that it was published so late this year.

Will the right hon. Gentleman guarantee that it is published before the threatened invasion of this country comes off?

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it is the intention of the Admiralty to complete all the large armoured ships, including the three vessels of the "St. Vincent" class, within the specified period of two years; and will they consider the advisability of enforcing a penalty upon the contractors who delay the delivery of ships they may be building for the nation.

Of the large armoured vessels now under construction by contract, it was the intention of the Admiralty to complete the "Invincible" in two and a half years, and "Superb" and "Vanguard" in two years. The "Invincible" and "Superb" have been delayed by labour troubles and other causes, and will not be delivered within the expected periods. The "Vanguard" will, so far as the Admiralty can at present foresee, be delivered within the two year period. It is the present intention of the Admiralty to allow two years for building and completing large armoured ships in future. The contracts for building warships for His Majesty's service invariably provide for the payment of liquidated damages for delay in delivery, unless such delay shall have been outside the control of contractors for such causes as strikes and lockouts.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can give the date at which the next Navy Estimates will be presented.

The Naval Estimates will be introduced next session at some time between the conclusion of the debate on the Address in reply to the King's Speech and the close of the financial year.

This question has been somewhat truncated, unfortunately, but will the right hon. Gentleman give orders for the laving down of one or two battleships before the Estimates are laid before the House.

That hardly arises not of the Question.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Admiralty have any intention of testing internal combustion engines for propulsive purposes in any of the five protected cruisers for which orders have recently been given.

All these five protected cruisers have been designed with steam turbine machinery. There is no intention of testing internal combustion engines for propulsive purposes in any of them. Steps are, however, being taken to test these engines in another direction.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether Army pensioners can be allowed to commute a portion of their pensions at forty-five years of age instead of fifty as at present, seeing that men and noncommissioned officers are not infrequently compelled to retire from the service shortly after completing forty years of age, and that the commutation of their pensions would enable them to make a new start in life in some trade or business.

The Army Council are considering the desirability of allowing Army pensioners, in receipt of more than 1s. a day, to commute the excess over 1s. at an earlier age than fifty.

Will provision be made for this concession in the forthcoming Estimates?

The matter, as I have said, is still under consideration.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is proposed to make any alteration in the status or numbers of quartermasters in the Army.

I have no knowledge of any proposal to alter the status of quartermasters; but, of course, the numbers employed may vary from time to time according to the requirements of the Army.

was understood to ask if the Answer applied equally to riding-masters?

No, it is confined to quartermasters.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that, in connection with a pension scheme for foremen at the Weedon Ordnance Factory there is a rule that any foreman participating in the scheme must cease to be a member of any trade society; and whether he will make inquiry into the matter, with a view to stopping the imposition of this disability on trade unionists in Government employ.

Will the hon. Member kindly refer to my reply to a Question on the subject of the pension scheme for foremen of the Army Ordnance Department put by the hon. Member for the St. Patrick's Division of Dublin on 17th June last, and especially to the last sentence of that reply.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state how many married couples are now living in one room in barracks situated in the Dinted Kingdom.

No Returns are forwarded to the War Office containing the required information.

Will the right hon. Gentleman take steps to find out before he comes to the House for money to remedy the evil?

There is no question of coming to the House for money. We are remedying it.

Has the right hon. Gentleman no idea how many couples there are living under these conditions?

I cannot say how many; there is a great number, but we are reducing it as quickly as we can.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War what decision has been come to with reference to the provision of quarters for married officers stationed at Tidworth and Bulford.

The question of the provision of quarters for married officers is still under consideration. I may point out that the existing pressure will be somewhat relieved in the near future.

As this matter has been under consideration for six months, can the right hon. Gentleman give an idea when it is likely to be decided?

reply was inaudible.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is his intention to keep troops permanently stationed in the barracks at Carlow; and, if so, whether repairs of an extensive character will be undertaken.

No, Sir.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War what number of unemployed have availed themselves of his offer of service in the Special Reserve.

The number of recruits for the Special Reserve between 16th January and 1st October was 17,781; from that date to 1st November was 3,372; and from that date to 28th November, the latest date for which figures are available, was 2,748; amounting in all to 23,901. I assume that every recruit offering himself for the Special Reserve is at the time unemployed.

May I ask whether at this rate of recruiting the Special Reserve will be filled up in a few months?

Well, recruiting is going on at the rate of 1,400 or 1,500 a fortnight.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War what percentage of the rank and file living in barracks in the United Kingdom sleep and eat in the same room.

There are no statistics available to give the proportion. Wherever possible, that is, when accommodation exists, dining-rooms are used. The proportion, moreover, varies, as a barrack which may not be able, from pressure on its accommodation, to find dining-rooms at one time may be able to do so at another time. Every effort is made administratively to allow dining-rooms to be provided. In new barracks, dining-rooms are being arranged for.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state how many of the married couples living in one room in barracks in the United Kingdom have children living with them.

No returns are forwarded to the War Office containing the required information.

Is there no limit at the War Office as to the number of people allowed to sleep in one room?

asked for notice.

Is it a fact that there are actually married men in the service with children living in one room only? If that is so, what step is the right hon. Gentleman taking to inquire with a view to remedying that disgusting state of affairs?

I succeeded to a great mass of these cases, and I am doing all I can to remedy them. Wherever we can, we provide two rooms.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is his intention that county associations should be under the necessity of applying to private individuals for assistance in defraying the expenses of rifle ranges, extra ammunition for practice, expenses of going to and from annual training, and similar outgoings.

The funds placed at the disposal of the county associations from Army Votes for these services are considered sufficient to meet necessary expenditure.

Then am I to understand that no county association is to be obliged to appeal to private individuals to be given the use of land for rifle ranges at lower than the ordinary rent, on the ground that they have not sufficient funds?

I do not know about that, but we have provided what we consider sufficient funds to enable all these requirements to be satisfied.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India if he can state the express terms on which the Eastern and South Africa Telegraph Company became a partner in the Indian Joint-Purse Pool, and to what extent, if any, India has suffered loss in her transit tax from the diversion of Australian telegraph traffic to the Australia-to-Africa cable; and whether the traffic from the Dutch Indies, formerly transmitting through India, has been diminished, and, if so, to what extent, by the establishment of the spur cable lately laid from Batavia to the Cocos (or Keeling) Islands to join the Australia-to-Africa cable.

It would be necessary to obtain the consent of all the partners in the Indian Joint-Purse Agreement before the express terms on which the Eastern and South African Telegraph Company became a partner in this Joint-Purse could be made public. The opening of the Australia-to-Africa cable has diminished the volume of traffic yielding a transit tax to India. This loss for the official year, 1907–1908 is estimated to have been about £23,000. The opening of the Batavia-Cocos cable in April last allows of the diversion of traffic from and to the Dutch Indies. Figures are not available to show the loss to India by diversion.

Will the hon. Gentleman take steps to secure that the public shall have due notice of these arrangements?

I do not think I can promise that.

But, in view of the position of affairs, it is very necessary.

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will put down another Question.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India if the telegraph land line from Kerman, through Beluchistan to Kalat and Quetta is yet completed, and if on such completion it will be possible to send a telegram by land wires alone from any Continental town, say Calais, to any part of India, Assam, or Burmah; and, in the case of a message sent from Calais to Rangoon, would he state the cost of such message, and the amount of the terminal tax at each end, as well as the transit tax payable according to the rules of the International Telegraph Convention to each intervening State on the normal route.

A telegraph land line from Teheran, via Kerman, Robat, and Indian Baluchistan, to Karachi, was opened for traffic in November, 1907, as an alternative and additional line to the one from Teheran, via Bushire and the Persian Gulf, to Karachi. The cost of a message sent from Calais to Rangoon, which passes over either of these lines, is 2·50 francs per word. According to Table B of the International Telegraph Convention the terminal tax per word on such a message would be 0·15 francs for France and 0·35 francs for India. The transit taxes payable would be 0·20 francs for Germany, 1·13 francs for Russia, 0·44 francs for Persia, and 0·68 francs for the Persian Gulf. The total of these conventional rates would amount to 2·95 francs. The lower through rate accepted of 2·50 francs per word has been brought about by arrangement between the Administrations concerned.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India what precisely are the general purposes of the Government of India for which the Secretary of State is to be empowered by the East Indian Loan Bill to borrow in the United Kingdom the sum of £5,000,000, in addition to the sum of £6,200,000 already borrowed and apparently spent; upon what specific object this sum of £6,200,000 has been spent, and whether the details of this expenditure have been regularly brought to account in the annual financial statement issued by the Government of India.

The power to raise £5,000,000 for general purposes is asked for in order that the Secretary of State may be able to borrow in England to meet any emergency that may arise, such as a deficiency in remittances from India due to a reduction of the resources of the Government of India, or to unfavourable trade conditions. The Secretary of State comes to Parliament from time to time for borrowing powers for these purposes. The net indebtedness incurred under the Act of 1898, which was shown in the Memorandum presented last July as £6,200,000 is now £8,700,000. The total transactions under the Act are that £17,700,000 have been borrowed at various times and £9,000,000 of temporary debt have been repaid. The loans of each year and the total expenditure of each year are shown in the annual accounts of the Government of India; but so far as the loans are required to meet a shortage of remittances from India it is not practicable to exhibit them in the accounts as appropriated to meet expenditure under particular heads.

Will the hon. Gentleman answer the last part of my Question? Are details of this expenditure exhibited in the account?

Yes, I shall later on be able to explain more fully the exact position.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the fact that four white settlers in Rhodesia recently flogged three natives, suspected of theft, with the result that two of them died from the treatment received; and that at the Battlefields criminal sessions, in spite of the summing up of the Judge, the four settlers were acquitted by the jury on all counts; and whether, under the terms of the charter given to the British South Africa Company, any appeal in such a case lies to the Imperial Courts.

At the same time may I ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any information about the recent trial of four Europeans at Salisbury, in Rhodesia, for the manslaughter of two natives alleged to have been so severely flogged that two of them died; whether the four men charged were all acquitted; and whether he has received any intimation, either from the Administrator of Rhodesia or the Judge who tried the case, as to the circumstances under which the verdict was given.

I have seen a report in the Press, but have no official information on the subject. Inquiry shall be made of the High Commissioner for South Africa. I am advised that no appeal lies to any Court in this country.

Does no appeal lie to the Privy Council?

My reply is that no appeal lies to any Court.

Can the hon. Gentleman suggest what is the use of Imperialism if it cannot prevent iniquities such as these?

But it does prevent iniquities such as these.

Has the Congo Reform Association reported on this matter.

Not that I am aware of.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies why no allusion is made in the latest Report on the Somaili Protectorate to the military forces of the Protectorate, as is usual in similar Reports on the African Protectorates; and whether he will lay before the House a statement showing the number and nature of the troops now in the Protectorate and the stations at which they are posted.

It has not been thought desirable to publish the information referred to in the annual Report.

I beg to ask the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the case of Mr. Silberrad, who has been accused of immorality towards a native child in the East African Protectorate; and whether he will lay before the House any official correspondence which has passed in regard to it. The following Questions on the same subject also appeared on the Paper—

To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any official information concerning the alleged procuring of young native girls for immoral purposes by high European Government officials of the East African Protectorate; is he aware that the allegation against one of the officials was inquired into privately by His Honour Judge Barth, of the High Court, at the request of His Excellency the Governor, and that the offender was punished by the loss of one year's seniority; and does the Secretary of State propose to take any further steps in the matter.

To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that last February Mr. Silberrad, Deputy-Commissioner at Nyeri, in British East Africa, used his official position to procure a native child of thirteen for immoral purposes, and that on complaint being made by a British settler a private inquiry was held and Mr. Silberrad received some trifling disciplinary punishment; whether he will explain why an open inquiry was not held in this case; and what steps the Secretary of State proposes to take to prevent the recurrence of such cases in British East Africa, and to secure the same standard of conduct in this Protectorate as obtains in other British Colonies.

To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the inquiry undertaken by Judge Barth by the instruction of the Governor at Nyeri into the conduct of an official; and, in view of the state of corruption alleged, will he grant a public inquiry in order that a Report may be presented to Parliament.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if any complaints have been made to the Governor of British East Africa respecting the conduct of officials other than the case which was recently referred to Judge Barth of the High Court; and, if so, have any inquiries been held as the result of the complaints.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to certain grave charges recently brought against two officials in British East Africa; and whether, if such charges are well founded, he will see that adequate punishment is meted out to the offenders.

asked the hon. Gentleman whether he was aware that, so far from the offender in this case having received some slight disciplinary punishment, he had already been severely punished, and was still labouring under that punishment; that since this occasion his conduct had been most exemplary, and that the suggestion that he had procured a child was entirely and absolutely unwarranted; and whether, under all the circumstances, he would leave the matter where it was, in the hands of the Governor of the Colony, and not consent to retry the case on ex parte statements.

I trust the House will permit me to reply to the six Questions on this subject together, and to make a short statement. Perhaps it will be convenient to deal, in the first place, with the particular case of the officer mentioned by name, and, in the second place, with the general aspect of the matter referred to in some of the Questions on the Paper. With regard to the particular case, the officer named was not a high Government official, but one of the junior grade of administrative officers. He was charged with the offence referred to in the Question, and a Judge was nominated to investigate the charge, and to report to the Colonial Government. Before stating what subsequently took place, it is right to clear up two points on which the House will wish to be informed, so as to understand the nature of the offence more clearly. With regard to the use of the word "child," it is the case that women in East Africa, as in other tropical countries, develop so rapidly that they are commonly married at the age of thirteen or fourteen, which is the age stated in this case; secondly, unwillingness was not found by the Judge to be proved. The Judge investigated the charge and reported, and on his report the officer was suspended from duty, and his case considered by the Executive Council, who advised that he should lose one year's seniority, and not be put in charge of a district for two years. The whole matter was subsequently reported to the Secretary of State, who gave it his most careful attention. He had, of course, no opportunity of seeing and hearing the witnesses or of weighing the value of their evidence, and he, therefore, considered it right to accept the decision of the Executive Council. But he did not do this until he had satisfied himself that, since the pecuniary loss involved was considerable, and since the officer's opportunities for advancement must necessarily be affected to a far greater extent than might at first sight appear, the punishment was undoubtedly a severe one. Since then the officer has returned to duty, and the Governor reports as follows: "Silberrad is an able and energetic officer, who has done good work and has been favourably reported on up to time of his fault, for which he expressed deepest regret and gave me the fullest assurances. He lately married in England, and I understand that before doing so, he told all to his future wife. His conduct since his return has been exemplary, and he should make a valuable officer." With regard to the general question, the Government of East Africa on their own initiative issued a strongly worded Memorandum in September last condemning such practices and warning all officers of the consequences of disobedience. I think the House will agree that it would not be well to lay Papers on this matter, but I need not say that the Secretary of State associates himself with the condemnation which has been expressed. He is taking steps to impress upon members of the whole Colonial service, through the Governors, that such actions, all questions of morals apart, are damaging to the public service, and that the gravest consequences must be the penalty for conduct which is unworthy of a servant of the Crown.

May I ask the hon. Gentleman why no action was taken or inquiry made in regard to the other official about whom a complaint was made by Mr. Routledge; and in regard to the Question asked by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland, is he aware that Mrs. Routledge went to the house of Mr. Silberrad and took these girls of twelve and thirteen away from him?

With regard to the first Queston I have only replied on the specific case put before me. I shall be glad to answer any Questions on that subject if the hon. Gentleman will give me due notice. With regard to the second Question, I understand that is the case. We must all be very grateful to the lady for the action which she took.

inquired whether the hon. Gentleman was aware, that three out of four hon. Members who put down Questions on this subject had had charge of natives under the British Crown and that they were all disgusted and horrified at this occurrence, and also at the attitude taken by the Colonial Office and the Governor towards it?

The Answer to the first Question is in the affirmative, and to the second in the negative.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that these malpractices against native women are alleged to have been the cause of disturbances in that district which led to a punitive expedition 'Did the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Dundee, during his recent visit to East Africa, make any inquiry with regard to these allegations?

Really, I must have notice of that Question. But I repeat that the Secretary of State regards this question as one of the utmost gravity.

Is Mr. Silberrad still exercising any judicial functions?

He is doing the usual work of a subordinate officer, and the Governor has telegraphed to me that he is endeavouring to do his best to redeem his character by leading an exemplary life. It is rather difficult to define the term "judicial." Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will put a further Question down on that.

Is he in the same district?

I think not.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether an allowance or bounty to the amount of 3d. to 5d. per gallon is still paid by the State on whisky and other British spirits exported from this country; and, if so, whether the export of spirituous liquors is the only bounty-fed export from the United Kingdom, what is the total sum per annum paid as bounty, and what is the reason that the trade in spirituous liquors enjoys such exceptional advantages and protection.

No bounty is paid upon the export of British spirits from this country. An allowance of 3d. per gallon is granted on British plain spirits on exportation, as an equivalent to the British distiller for the cost to him of the requirements and restrictions imposed by the Revenue laws and regulations in connection with his plant and methods of manufacture. A further allowance of 2d. (i.e., 5d. in all) is granted an British compounds in consideration of the loss due to the manufacture being required by law to be carried on with duty-paid spirits on premises distinct from those of a distiller. These allowances are granted in order to put the British distiller on an equality with the foreign distiller, who is not hampered to the same degree by the Revenue laws of this country. The sum paid as allowances on the exportation of spirits (plain and compound) for the year ended 31st March, 1908, was £113,807.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state what was the surplus of the financial year 1907–8 available under the old sinking fund for the reduction of the funded debt; how much of this surplus has already been applied to the reduction of the funded debt; and when it is proposed to apply the balance.

The old sinking fund for the year 1907–8 amounted to £4,725,595 16s. 7d., and will be applied in the reduction of debt. Since 1st April last, £2,000,000 has been issued to the Commissioners for the reduction of the National Debt; and the balance will, subject to Section 9 of the Finance Act, 1908, be issued from time to time during the present financial year. It would not be in the public interest to give the details of the application of sinking fund money in anticipation of the Annual Returns presented to this House.

asked whether any part of the surplus referred to would be applied to meet any possible deficit on next year's Budget.

asked the hon. Gentleman to give him notice of that Question.

asked whether there was any power to use the surplus of last year for anything but the reduction of the debt.

said he thought there was no such power. That was why he hesitated to answer the hon. Member for Stepney.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can now say when the Bill to prohibit the use of hop substitutes in beer and to secure the marking of foreign hops imported into the United Kingdom will be introduced.

I have been in consultation informally with representatives of the interests concerned, and shall, I hope, be able to introduce in a day or two the Bill for the prohibition of the use of hop substitutes, and for the marking of imported hops.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether notices to licence-holders, sent out by post, by county councils in connection with the collection of local taxation licences, will require to be stamped; and whether, having regard to the inadequacy of the amount proposed to be allowed to county councils for the cost of collection, it can be arranged that they shall not be called upon to pay postage on circulars and notices issued by them in connection with these licences.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. As I explained in the course of the debate on the Finance Bill on 15th July last, the grant of £40,000 to county councils in England and Wales should, in my opinion, provide a sufficient margin to cover all costs of collection; but I shall be glad to consider any representations on the subject which may be made to me by councils who, after due trial, think that the amount allotted to them is inadequate for the purpose.

asked if the right hon. Gentleman was aware that in the case of Middlesex the collectors will find this a very heavy burden, representing two-thirds of their percentages.

I shall be prepared to consider any representations on the subject.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that residents in the Metropolitan districts are deprived of the safeguard obtainable by ringing up the police-stations in cases of burglary, because the police stations have no connection with the exchanges of the National Telephone Company; and, having in view the frequent cases of housebreaking both in London and elsewhere, as well as recent cases in Glasgow, whether he will, with a view to the security of householders in the event of attempted burglaries in the Metropolis, give instructions that the police-stations be at once put in communication with the National Telephone Company's Exchange.

The work of connecting Metropolitan police stations with the telephone system is steadily progressing, there being now ninety-nine stations on the public telephone system, and 130 on the police telephone system. The majority of police connections are with the General Post Office telephone service, which gives communication also with the National Telephone Company's exchanges.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been drawn to the increase of public discomfort due to the nuisance of the thick offensive smoke sometimes discharged from the exhaust-pipe of motorcars; whether he has made inquiries as to the possibility of preventing this; and, if so, whether he will now cause special investigation to be made with a view to a regulation that the discharge of this offensive smoke shall be in the front of the car, so that the driver on the driving seat, or the owner inside, may see it and take the means necessary to obviate or prevent it.

As I stated in reply to a Question earlier in the year, I do not think this nuisance is on the increase in London. I have no power to take any action except in respect of motor-cabs and motor-omnibuses, and the police report to me that in their case, at any rate, the smoke nuisance has undoubtedly decreased. Improvements in design have tended towards this result. I shall always be ready to consider any practicable proposals for diminishing the nuisance; but I am advised that the suggestion made by the hon. Member is impracticable.

Seeing that steps have been taken so far as public vehicles are concerned, will the right hon. Gentleman see that similar action is applied to private cars?

said the same action should apply to both classes. He was in communication with the President of the Local Government Board on the subject.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider the advisability of introducing legislation to require all railway companies to issue third-class season tickets.

I do not see my way to introduce legislation of the nature suggested by my hon. friend, but I may remind him that third-class season tickets are now issued by many of the railway companies voluntarily, and their number appears to be increasing.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that thousands of people have been deprived of their whole savings by such companies as the Provincial Homes Investment Company, he will take immediate steps to have such companies wound up and the promoters prosecuted.

Companies registered under the Companies Acts can only be wound up in the manner provided by those Acts, and the Board of Trade have no power to take any steps to obtain or order a winding up. Nor is it within the province of the Board of Trade, except in the case of companies ordered by the Court to be wound up compulsorily to take steps for the prosecution of the promoters. If my hon. friend has facts in his possession disclosing a criminal offence it is in his power to submit them to the Director of Public Prosecutions. I may add that, for the protection of the poorer and less instructed classes of investor, Is caused a Memorandum to be issued last week drawing their attention to certain definite points which require careful consideration before entering into a contract with a company doing house purchase business. I am having this Memorandum printed with the Votes:—Investment Companies and House Purchase Companies.—Memorandum by the Board of Trade.—The Board of Trade have recently received many complaints from persons who have invested their savings in bond investment or house purchase companies, and, as it appears that there is often a misunderstanding on the part of subscribers as to the terms on which subscriptions are paid to such companies, the Board desire to draw the attention of persons who think of investing their money with any company of this class to certain matters which should be understood clearly before any contract is entered into. Inquiries made by the Board of Trade show that the usual course followed by a company of this class is to offer bonds or certificates for subscription and to contract to pay the subscriber a lump sum at the end of a period of ten, twenty, or thirty years in return for monthly subscriptions of a fixed amount payable by the subscriber. In some cases the subscriber has, in addition, after the subscriptions have been made for a short period, the right to an advance from the company up to the nominal amount of the bond or certificate for the purpose of buying a house, subject, however, to the condition that the advance will in no case exceed the value of the house. The bonds or certificates issued by investment and house purchase companies always contain a penalty for failure to keep up the subscriptions, and, in many cases, this penalty is the absolute forfeiture of all moneys paid by the subscriber. The complaints laid before the Board of Trade fall generally under one or other of the following heads: (1) Before the end of the period the subscriber wishes to draw out what he has already paid, but finds that the terms of the contract do not allow him to do so; (2) The subscriber for some reason cannot continue his payments, and finds that the whole or part of what he has already paid is liable to be forfeited to the company if future payments are not kept up; (3) The subscriber enters into a contract to purchase a house and thinks that he is thereupon entitled to an advance from the company up to the face value of his bond or certificate, but finds that the company's surveyor places a lower value on the house than the price agreed to be paid, and he is consequently unable to complete his purchase. The Hoard of Trade therefore deem it important to advise that, before entering into any contract with an investment or house purchase company, intending subscribers should find out exactly the conditions as to the withdrawal of payments before the end of the period for which the payments are to be made and as to the risk of forfeiture. They further recommend that persons who are thinking of entering into such a contract with the object of purchasing a house should also find out exactly how the value of the house is to be ascertained, and on what terms the advance will be made under the terms of the contract—28th November, 1908.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will supplement the warning issued recently regarding house purchase by ordering a thorough investigation by an independent firm of chartered accountants into the methods of the Provincial Homes Investment Company, against whom there are now some hundreds of cases down for hearing in the Law Courts; whether he is aware that a firm of chartered accountants gave up the audit of this company because the directors were borrowing money from the funds without giving security; and whether he will order the company to be wound up in order to prevent further loss to the people who have invested in it.

The Board of Trade has no power to conduct an inquiry into the affairs of a company except in the case of a company which is in compulsory liquidation. The Board have, however, power to appoint inspectors to examine into the affairs of a company upon the application of members holding not less than one-tenth of the whole of the shares of the company for the time being issued. No such application has been made to the Board of Trade in the case of the Provincial Homes Investment Company, and, consequently, the power to appoint inspectors has not arisen. I have no knowledge of the resignation of the auditors of the company, and have no power to order the company to be wound up.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will state how many pairs of boots and shoes were imported into the United Kingdom from the United States of America, and their value, in each of the years 1905, 1906 and 1907.

The hon. Member will find the information he requires on page 196 of Volume I. of the Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom for the year 1907, a copy of which may be seen in the library.

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received an application from the urban district council of Maesteg for sanction to create a distress committee; whether the reasons assigned were that 9 per cent. of the colliers in the district were idle owing to bad trade, and that the council were prepared to put work at roadmaking in hand at once provided they could obtain a share of the Government grant to permit of unemployed labour being used; and whether the application was refused; if so, for what reason.

The facts are as suggested in the Question. It appeared that the bulk of the colliers out of employment had only ceased work a fortnight before, the Poor Law statistics showed no increase in able-bodied pauperism, and the district council had schemes of road-making which they could execute. In the circumstances it did not seem to me that sufficient ground had been shown at that time for establishing a distress committee, and I so informed the district council.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education what was the expenditure incurred by the teaching of Welsh as an extra subject during the past year in primary schools in Wales.

No special grant is given for the teaching of Welsh. I have no information as to the expenditure incurred by local authorities upon the teaching of this particular subject.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education under what powers, statutory or otherwise, he secured the Returns upon which the figures in the recent White Paper [Cd. 4406] are based; and why it is not possible for him to have secured under such powers the precise figures required to show the cost of contracting-out schools. I beg also to ask the President of the Board of Education whether, under Article 47 of the Code, local education authorities and managers of public elementary schools are required to furnish duly all Returns called for by the Board of Education or by Parliament; and why he did not use his powers under that Article to obtain Returns showing the outlays which would have to be incurred by managers of contracting-out schools.

The Returns referred to are obtainable under Section 95 of the Elementary Education Act, 1870, upon which Article 47 of the Code is based. The analysed form of financial statement of the expenditure of local education authorities upon public elementary schools, which was prescribed in consequence of the Act of 1902, does not require the separation of expenditure upon voluntary schools and council schools except as regards teachers' salaries and rent, rates, and taxes upon teachers' houses. Moreover, inasmuch as fuel, material, etc., is frequently obtained by a contract covering the requirements of a large number of schools, it is impossible to require the local authority to separate their expenditure on individual schools or on the voluntary schools in their area as distinct from the council schools. Apart from this point, to obtain information as to a given financial year, the necessary instructions as to the form in which the accounts of local authorities must be kept must be sent out several months before the beginning of the year, and the results could not be available for more than a year and a half after the information was first asked for.

Under these circumstances may I ask the right hon. Gentleman, in view of the fact that he has power to order these Returns in any form he likes, why he stated that he had no such power to ask for Returns for the so-called contracting-out schools?

For the very good reason that I have no power to ask from local authorities information of which they were not possessed.

I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, if he is aware that serious inconvenience, if not loss, is caused to tenants of small holdings by their inability to occupy and work land let by county councils owing to the delay in confirmation of schemes by the Board; that some schemes have been months in the hands of the Board awaiting confirmation; and does the Board insist that all land proposed in each scheme to be let should be individually inspected by an officer of the Board; and, if so, whether some addition to the staff of the Board is necessary to obviate the delay complained of.

There has been no delay in the confirmation of satisfactory schemes by the Board. The noble Lord probably has in mind three schemes submitted by a county council at the end of September last, which have not yet been confirmed owing to a difference of opinion between the council and the Board as to whether the rents proposed to be charged by the council are not unnecessarily high.

Is there to be any addition to the staff?

There will be some additions.

I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether, where money is borrowed by county councils for the erection of buildings on hired land under the Small Holdings Act, 1907, the interest on such loans and a sinking fund for the repayment thereof are to be included in the rent to be paid by the small holders; and, if so, to whom will the buildings belong at the expiration of the lease: to the county councils, the landowners, or to the small holders, who will have paid for them.

The rents will be fixed at sums sufficient to cover the interest and sinking fund. Buildings erected on leasehold land belong at the expiration of the lease to the landlord in the absence of any right to remove them.

On behalf of the hon. Member for Mid Armagh, I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland what was the expenditure incurred by the teaching of Gaelic as an extra subject in primary schools in Scotland during the past year.

No grant is paid in Scotland for the teaching of Gaelic or of any other language as an extra subject. Grants are made on account of the curriculum as a whole and it is within the discretion of local managers to decide what language or languages they will teach, if any. But a special grant is made for the employment of Gaelic-speaking teachers to teach Gaelic-speaking children and the amount of this grant in the last completed year was £1,580.

I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland what was the price paid by the Congested Districts Board (Scotland) for the land at North Bay, in the Island of Barra, in the outer Hebrides, which was purchased by that Board and subsequently sold to the tenants; in what year was the land so sold; on what principle were the annual payments agreed on; how were the crofts laid out; for how many years were these annual payments to be made without re-valuation or variation; whether he is aware that there has been a total failure of the potato crop in North Bay and that the fishing industry, on which the crofters have mainly relied for a livelihood, has this year been unproductive; that nine crofters, who have been reduced to the deepest distress, have been summoned by the Congested Districts Board for non-payment of the arrears of their annual payments before the sheriff-substitute, to a Court to be held at Loch Maddy, a great distance from North Bay attendance at which will entail great inconvenience, expense, and difficulty; and whether, having regard to the fact that these men have been placed in their present difficulties by the failure of their crops and the bad fishing season, and through no fault of their own, the Congested Districts Board will stay proceedings against them till they are in a position to meet these charges, seeing that the present proceedings if carried out must involve them in destitution.

The price paid by the Congested Districts Board for the lands near Northbay in Barra was £7,500. These lands (except a house and grounds rented at £25) were re-sold in small holdings to the fifty-eight original purchasers for £5,512 10s. at Whit-Sunday, 1902. The price, principal and interest at 2f per cent. is repayable by annuities of equal amounts for fifty years. The annuities for the various holdings are—

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the destitute condition of these people and are these proceedings calculated to deprive them of their homes?

The circumstances are well known to the Congested Districts Board who have taken this action after the most careful consideration.

Are these really ejectment processes?

Preliminary steps only have been taken. It will depend on future events what further steps may be necessary.

Is the principal and interest combined repayable by annuities at 2¾ per cent?

The principal and interest stand at 2¾ per cent. and the whole sum is repayable in instalments extending over fifty years.

Then at what rate is it?

asked for notice.

I beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland whether he has made inquiry into the alleged boycotting of Catholics by Protestants and of Protestants by Catholics in the Riverstown district, Count Sligo; and, if so, whether he will state the result of his inquiries to the House.

As a prosecution is pending in reference to the alleged boycotting in the district referred to, it would be against the public interest to make any statement in this House upon the matters which may be in controversy at the trial.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will state upon what precedent he relies for the compulsory taking of lands, leaving the expropriated owner to bear his own costs of making title to the lands, all charges thereon, and to all head rents and superior interests, in order to obtain payment of the purchase money awarded to him; is he aware that in the case of a small estate with a difficult title cost of title would form a very large proportion of the value of the property; and will he consider, in framing the Irish Land Bill, 1909, the propriety of indemnifying persons who wish to keep their land, but are expropriated in the public interest against all costs of fixing the price and making title which are thus forced on them.

The hon. and learned Member is, I think, right in assuming that when lands are taken compulsorily for public purposes the vendor is generally indemnified against the costs of making title.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, having regard to the fact that the Irish Land Bill of 1908, while providing for the compulsory deprivation of landowners in Ireland of lands in their own occupation, and which they may desire earnestly to retain, leaves them to bear all costs of making title to the lands of which in the presumed interest of the State they are to be deprived, and whether the area of the land taken be large or small, and however difficult and expulsive making title may be, he will consider the advisability of making provision for the costs of title and also of the assessment of the value of the lands proposed to be taken so that the landowners may get the value of their land without deduction.