asked the President of the Board of Trade whether there is any civilised country in the world, besides our own, which regards the wool test, the official test of the Board of Trade, as a reliable test for colour blindness; whether he is aware that not a single ophthalmic surgeon of eminence in this country is of opinion that the wool test is an efficient one; and whether he can state how many, if any, of the examiners of the Board of Trade, either those employed in the first instance or on appeal, have any knowledge of physiology or ophthalmology?

I am obtaining information as to the countries which have adopted the Holmgren Wool Test as a test for colour blindness in the Mercantile Marine. This test was adopted by the Board of Trade on the advice of a Committee of the Royal Society, which comprised both eminent physiologists and physicists, and I have reason to think that the highest scientific opinion is in favour of its efficiency. One of its advantages is that it can be applied by persons who possess no knowledge of physiology or ophthalmology. No such knowledge is, therefore, demanded of the Board of Trade examiners in the first instance. But in the supervision of their tests, in the instructions of their examiners and in the conduct of their special examination on appeal, the Board have the advantage of the services of two acknowledged authorities on colour vision —both Fellows of the Royal Society, who hold the degree of Doctor of Science.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that section 12 of The West Riding Tramways Act, 1904, imposed upon the promoters of the West Riding Tramways scheme the duty to widen Front Street, in the borough of Pontefract, by acquiring, and then demolishing, certain specified cottage property, and also stipulated that the tramway should not be opened for public traffic until that widening had been completed; and will he explain why the tramways have been allowed to be opened for public traffic, seeing that the conditions for widening, as laid down by section 12, have not been carried out?

I am aware of the provision in question, and when the lines in Front-street were first submitted for inspection the Board of Trade declined to approve their use for passenger traffic. Having regard, however, to the strong views expressed by the Corporation of Pontefract in favour of the lines being opened, the Board subsequently agreed to withdraw their objection, without prejudice to the obligations imposed by the Act, but subject to some slight alterations being made and to the observance of certain requirements; as to speed and stopping places. The place has been recently revisited on behalf of the Board of Trade, and they are advised that provided these requirements are observed no danger need be apprehended.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the quantities of wines under 30 degrees and over 30 degrees, respectively, that paid duty in the months of May and June in 1908 and 1909?

submitted the following statement of the quantities of wines not exceeding 30 degrees and exceeding 30 degrees respectively, that paid duty in the months of May and June in 1908 and in 1909:—

asked the 'Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he would state the amount of Income Tax received during the financial year now closed on profits and incomes resulting from investments abroad; the amounts on which the tax was paid, discriminating between those earned in foreign countries and those from British possessions; and whether there has been any increase or decrease as compared with the figures of the previous year.

No figures are yet available for the year 1908–9, but the table printed below gives for the years 1906–7 and 1907–8 such statistics bearing on the hon. Baronet's question as are within the cognisance of the Board of Inland Revenue. I may at the same time refer him to the explanatory statement relating to income from abroad which appears at pages 182 and 183 of the 51st Report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue:—

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any of the three gentlemen recently appointed as his advisers during the passage of the Finance Bill are to be offered permanent positions as Commissioners, or in any other capacity under the Bill if it passes into law; and, if so, the nature of such and the salary attached?

No such offer is at present in contemplation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the tax of 3d. per gallon on benzoline will be remitted to those small retailers, such as chemists, who do not sell it or other spirit for use in mechanically propelled vehicles, but only for burning in lamps or other similar purposes?

My right hon. Friend regrets that he does not see his way to allow rebate to be paid to other persons than the actual users. Nor would it be practicable to apply the regulations for the supply of duty-free spirit under bond to these small retailers.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether permission will be given to all or any of the 127 units of the Territorial Forces which, by the latest returns on 1st July, have reached full strength, to recruit over strength during the financial year until the total number of the Territorial Forces voted by Parliament have been reached, seeing that 80 units are still under 75 per cent, of their establishment of non-commissioned officers and men?

In reply to my hon. Friend there is no intention of permitting Territorial Force units to recruit over their establishment.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will, in order to encourage efficiency in the Yeomanry, arrange that promotion shall carry the old rates of pay until all ranks come under the new rates?

There do not appear to be any sound grounds for extending the conditions under which non-commissioned officers and men who transferred from the Imperial Yeomanry to the Territorial Force retain their old Yeomanry rates of pay.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many ships of "Dreadnought" and "Invincible" types or equivalent fighting powers will be completed by 1st April, 1912, for Great Britain, Germany, and the United States, assuming that each of the Powers will then have completed its 1909–10 programme, and how many battleships of pre- "Dreadnought" types will then be possessed by each Power which at that time are less than 10, 12, and 15 years old, respectively, from the dates of laying down, giving the total pre-"Dreadnought" battleships possessed, so that the total included among those less than 10 years old will again be included in the totals less than 12 or 15 years old?

supplied the following figures:—

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the higher salaries prescribed by the Order in Council of 21st December, 1907, were afforded to Second Division clerks on the ground that their salaries under the Order in Council of 21st March, 1890, were inadequate during the earlier years of service; and, if so, will he explain why the Second Division clerks in the Estate Duty Office are required to revert, on promotion to the First Division, to the lower scale of salaries, seeing that it is usual for a clerk upon promotion to be given the prospect of a higher maximum salary as well as to receive an immediate increase of pay?

The hon. Member will find all the information he requires in my replies to the hon. Member for St. Patrick's Division of Dublin on 13th July, 1908, and to the hon. Member for Clapham on 10th November last.

asked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, what land the county council of Huntingdonshire have acquired or have agreed to acquire by voluntary arrangement under the Small Holdings Act, and what is the value of such land; what land has the council acquired or is in process of acquiring under the compulsory clause of the Act, and what is the value of such land; what further land, if any, the council is now in negotiation for by voluntary purchase, and what is the approximate value of such land; and what further land, if any, the council has decided to purchase under the compulsory clause of the Act, and what is the approximate value of such land?

The amount of land that the council have acquired or agreed to acquire by voluntary arrangement is 672 acres, of the estimated value of about £30,000. The amount acquired by compulsion is 314 acres, of the estimated value of about £13,000. With regard to prospective acquisitions in regard to which negotiations are now going on, and the price of which has still to be fixed, it is not possible for me to give the information asked for without prejudice to public interests.

asked whether the Board of Agriculture is prepared to reconsider the question of a grant to the School of Agricultural Research in Aberdeenshire?

The reply is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the recent action of the Staffordshire Education Committee in re fusing the application from Mr. W. H. Ingley, assistant-master in the Quarry Bank Council School, to be absent once in six weeks from 10.30 to 12 during the ensuing 11 months in order to sit as a magistrate; whether the reason for such refusal was that it would create a serious precedent; whether the Board of Education sanctions schoolmasters acting as magistrates; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?

The Board of Education have received no official information as to this case. The question appears to be at present entirely between the local education authority and one of the teachers in its employment, and the Board have no power to revise the decision at which the authority are stated to have arrived.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what were the names of the parents of Johanna Kiely, who was granted an old age pension by the Dungarvan rural sub-committee on 4th May last, and whose pension was disallowed by the local Government Board on appeal on the ground of age; in what townland did they reside in 1851 when the Census Returns were being taken; whether he is aware that there was another Johanna Keily born in the same electoral division of Conmaraglin, who died about four years ago, and whose age would correspond with the age of the Johanna Kiely whose name was found by the pension officer in the Census Returns of 1851; and whether the application of the living Johanna Kiely will be reconsidered with a view to her identification?

The names of the parents of the Johanna Kiely whose pension was disallowed by the Local Government Board on appeal were William Flynn and Norah Corcoran, who resided in the townland of Bohadoon, parish of Kilgobinet, Barony of Decies-Without-Drum. The existence of the other Johanna Kiely mentioned in the question was not known to either the pension officer or the Board, but the latter observed that the claimant whose case they have dealt with stated in her claim to a pension that her maiden name was Flynn, and that she was born at Bohadoon. If, however, any mistake has been made with regard to the identity of Mrs. Kiely it will be open to her to make a fresh claim.

asked the Chief Secretary if he can say whether any agreement has been come to between the Estates Commissioners and the landlord, Lane Joynt, with regard to the purchase of his property at Aughanish, in the county of Limerick; and whether they have yet made arrangements for the reinstatement of the evicted tenants there?

Proceedings are pending with a view to the sale of this property to the Commissioners, but no agreement has yet been come to, and the Commissioners are not in a position at present to make any arrangement as regards the allotment of the lands.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Estates Commissioners would consider the claim of Michael Feely, of Cornalaughta, Fivemile-bourne, Sligo, for the farm from which his mother was evicted on the Massey estate, Kinlough, county Leitrim, now in possession of Pat Gilbride, or, in the alternative, provide him with a suitable farm elsewhere?

Feely's application was-not lodged with the Estates Commissioners within the time specified by the Evicted Tenants Act, and cannot be dealt with under that Act. Proceedings for the sale of the estate upon which his mother's former holding is situate were instituted in March, 1907. When that estate is being inspected in order of priority, Feely's application will be inquired into. The Commissioners have no power to interfere with the present occupier of the holding, who has signed an agreement to purchase it.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he will call for a Return from county councils in Ireland of the number of persons in each district in receipt or old age pensions of 1s., 2s., 3s., 4s., and 5s. respectively, and the total number of claims received, allowed, adjourned, and disallowed, and-the number of claimants who have died, in the same form as that adopted by certain county councils in England?

I am informed that the pension committees in Ireland have not. kept any records which would enable them to furnish such a Return as is suggested in the question. It would be necessary in order to prepare such a Return to examine every one of the hundreds of thousands of claims which have been made since the Old Age Pensions Act came into operation. I cannot ask the pension committees to impose this task on their officers.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the recently appointed organisers of Irish under the National Board are obliged to do the work of inspectors as regards the examination of Irish; can he state whether the three recently appointed inspectors have a competent knowledge of Irish; and whether on the occasion of these appointments, suitable candidates were available who possessed a competent knowledge of Irish?

I am informed by the Commissioners of National Education that the organisers of Irish test the knowledge of the pupils in Irish whenever the local inspector has not a competent knowledge of the subject. One of the three recently appointed inspectors has not a competent knowledge of Irish. The inspectors selected were, in the opinion of the Commissioners, the most suitable candidates for the position.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can now make any statement as to the arrangements for the new post office at Collinstown, county Westmeath?

I regret to say that the difficulties experienced by the newly appointed sub-postmistress of Collins-town, as regards premises, have not yet been overcome.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that in the populous and prosperous neighbourhood within a few miles of Downpatrick, along the Killaugh Road, county Down, there are only two postal deliveries in the week; and whether, in view of the inconvenience caused, he will arrange for at least one postal delivery daily?

I have given instructions for a delivery to be afforded each weekday in the locality in question.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to an advertisement in the following terms which appeared in the "Belfast Evening Telegraph" of 21st May to the effect that the Post Office wanted immediately a young lady, Protestant, to take charge of sub-office, convenient to Belfast, sounder instrument and telephone used, state reference and salary, indoor, to Box 2742, E.T.; whether this advertisement was officially inserted by the Post Office or with its authority or consent, and, if not, whether he will take steps to find out by whom the advertisement was inserted and to what sub-office it refers; whether the making of employment in the Post Office conditional on the religion of the employé is in accordance with the official regulations; and whether, in view of the feeling of the Catholics in the Belfast district at what they take to be an official insult to their religion contained in this advertisement, he will state what action he proposes to take in the matter?

This advertisement was not inserted by the Post Office, nor with its knowledge or consent. As I have often stated, there are no religious tests whatever for any appointment in my service, The advertisement refers doubtless to some vacancy for an assistant at a small office, who would be in the employment of the sub-postmaster; but I have not been able to discover by whom it was inserted.