asked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether there have been any applications for small holdings in the parishes of Broad Campden, Westcote, Icomb, and South Cerney, in the county of Gloucester; if so, will he state how many; what are the several dates on which such applications were made; and what results have followed in each such case?

The information for which my hon. Friend asks is as follows:—

asked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, if his attention has been called to the exclusion of children from Kew Gardens who are in perambulators; and will he have this prohibition removed, as it restricts the pleasure of families in visiting these gardens?

The adoption of the suggestion made by my hon. Friend would not, I think, be conducive either to the pleasure of the general public or to the utility of the gardens as a scientific institution, especially in view of the very considerable growth of population in the neighbourhood in recent years.

asked the Prime Minister if he will state what action he proposes to take with reference to a memorial presented to him some time ago, signed by over 5,000 ex-naval and military Civil servants, praying that the unpensioned service rendered by them in the Army or I Navy prior to their Civil service should becounted for pension on final superannuation?

I am unable to add anything to the answers which have previously been given on this subject. I do not see my way to recommend any change in the present system.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will say on whose opinion the expectation is based that the Kowloon Railway ever can, in addition to its working expenses, repay the principal or any interest on the money spent upon its construction?

The expectation is based on figures supplied by the Chief Resident Engineer.

asked the Under-Secretary for the Colonies whether he is aware that the consulting engineer for the Kowloon Railway was appointed at the instance of the Crown Agents; that all correspondence between this engineer and the Government of. Hong Kong passes through the Crown Agents' hands, and their wishes prevail in all things; that the making of the railway, the ordering of material and equipment, the appointment of the staff, and the provision of money for these purposes, are in the hands of the Crown Agents, who exercise unlimited patronage, hold a lien on the railway and on the funds of the Colony, and are regarded as owners of the railway and employers of the staff; and whether the Colonial Office will fix any limit to the indefinite expenditure of money on this project?

The answer to the first and third parts of the hon. Gentleman's question is in the negative. The correspondence between the consulting engineers and the Colony passes through the hands of the Crown Agents under flying seal. With regard to the last part, the expenditure will be limited to the amount required for the construction and equipment of the line.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state why paragraph 107 of the Report of the Select Committee on Post Office Servants, which specifically mentions overseers, sorters, and telegraphists, has only been carried out as far as a few of the telegraphists are concerned; and, as the other officers affected have fulfilled the conditions governing the recommendation in every respect, whether he will now apply the recommendation to them also?

further asked whether the recommendation contained in paragraph 107 of the Report of the Select Committee on Post Office servants is one vitally affecting the remuneration of the officers to whom it refers; and why, in these circumstances, the recommendation has not been fully carried out, in view of the right hon. Gentleman's repeated assurances to this House and to the Post Office servants that all recommendations affecting remuneration would be adopted?

I will answer these two questions together. As I stated in reply to a question put to me in this House on 25th May last, the position of the telegraphists who had been employed in the Engineer-in-Chief's Department differed from that of the overseers, sorters and telegraphists who had not been so employed. The recommendation in question is one affecting administration rather than remuneration, and as I have previously stated in this House I reserved to myself liberty to adopt, modify or reject recommendations of the Committee with respect to questions of administration; and I have already explained the reasons which actuated me in coming to the decision I did in reference to this particular recommendation.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will grant a Return of the number of men afforded a half-holiday solely as the result of the abrogation of the Tweedmouth duty allowance?

also asked whether, in view of the assurance that the sole reason for the abrogation of the Tweed-mouth allowance for extended duties was to give effect to the Hobhouse Committee's recommendations for a weekly half-holiday, he will state how he proposes to deal with the sorters in the foreign section who, since 31st March, 1908, have given from 40 to 90 hours in excess of their attendance (calculated under the Tweed-mouth scale) who have not up to the present been approached on the subject of a half-holiday.

The Return asked for would not appear to answer any useful purpose, and would entail considerable labour and expense in its preparation A weekly half-holiday is granted so far as circumstances permit. The duties of those sorters who work more than 16 hours in 48 on certain days are in some cases arranged so as to give them a complete day's holiday once a fortnight. In other cases they have short hours of work on other days of the week. I am inquiring whether there are cases in which some further concession can be made.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that he has stated his willingness to receive a deputation from any representative association of Post Office employés that had a grievance to lay before him, he is aware that the Returned Letter Office Assistants Association has recently made two applications for an interview with him on the question of vacancies to their class being filled by females, and that each application has been refused; and, seeing that this is damaging to their prospects of promotion, will he receive a deputation from this class to discuss their grievance?

I am prepared to receive deputations in any case which is open to doubt, or where a discussion would appear to be advantageous. In the particular instance in question, however, it appeared that certain duties formerly performed by assistants in the Returned Letter Office were proper (and have long been considered proper) to the class of returners, and should be transferred to them.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the total cost of the Government wireless telegraphy station at Bolt Head up to the date of its being open for public business: the present cost of running the station; the revenue derived from inward and outward messages from and to shipping since its opening; the number of inward and outward messages week by week since its opening; and the number of messages calling for assistance to shipping in distress?

The capital cost of the Post Office Wireless Telegraph Station at Bolt Head has been about £2,000, and its annual cost, including allowances for interest and depreciation, is estimated at about £750. The work of the station hitherto has been chiefly experimental and in connection with the arrangements for giving effect to the International Radio-telegraphic Convention. A considerable number of ships report their position to Bolt Head in passing, but happily no messages have had to be received from ships in distress.