Royal Artillery (Gunner Shot).
asked the Secretary of State for War if his attention has been called to the death of Gunner Arthur Nicholls, of the Royal Garrison Artillery, who was fatally shot while watching a party of his comrades firing what were supposed to be blank cartridges; and whether he can state what precautions, if any, are taken to prevent ball cartridges being issued amongst the cartridges given out for blank-firing purposes?
I am making inquiries into this matter, and when they are concluded I will give the hon. Member a reply to his question.
Ordnance Survey (Ireland).
asked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether, seeing that the staff of the Ordnance Survey in Ireland represents over 40 per cent, of the total staff of the United Kingdom, he will say why only two members of the staff are on the President's list for the higher rates of pay out of a total of eighteen?
The disparity is due to the fact that the more important posts which give the holders precedence for promotion to the President's list are held by assistants serving elsewhere than in Ireland. In most undertakings the responsibility falls on the personnel at headquarters, and naturally where responsibility falls remuneration follows, and this is the case on the Ordnance Survey of the United Kingdom.
asked the hon. Member for South Somerset if he will explain why, if the Act of Geo. 4, c. 99, has been repealed, it is still quoted on the surveyors' appointments at present in use in Ireland; and will he quote the Act repealing same?
The Act of Geo. 4, c. 99, is not quoted on the surveyors' appointments at present issued for use in Ireland. The Act referred to was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act, 1873.
Income Tax Assessment.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the proportion which the Income Tax assessment on which taxes were contributed by Ireland bears to that of Great Britain for the years 1907–8 and 1908–9?
The statistics of assessments for the year 1907–8 are not yet complete; those for 1908–9 will not be available until next year. The net receipt of tax in the years 1907–8 and 1908–9 has been divided into the "true proportions" contributed by Ireland and Great Britain respectively, and the figures are as follows:—
Year. Ireland. Great Britain. Other Sources. Total. Amount. Per Cent. Amount. Per Cent. Amount. Per Cent. Amount. Per Cent £ £ £ £ 1907–8 … 1,106,000 3.47 30,356,000 95.28 398,000 1.25 31,860,000 100 1908–9 … 1,154,000 3.42 32,149,000 95.37 406,000 1.21 33,709,000 100
Chinese Pork (Convict Prisons).
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Chinese pork is supplied to His Majesty's prisons?
The pork used in convict prisons is obtained from the Admiralty and the Parkhurst Prison Farm. The Admiralty get no Chinese pork. A very small quantity of pork is used in a
few local prisons, and is purchased from the local meat contractors. The Commissioners are unable to say whether the pork obtained from the local contractors is Chinese or not.
ESTATE DUTY (YIELD).
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can give the yield of the Estate Duty, and the total amount of capital on which it was paid, in the first five months of the financial years 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1909 respectively?
The yield of the Estate Duty, and the total amount of capital on which it was paid, in the first five months of the financial years commencing 1st April, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1909 respectively were as follows:— Year. Duty. Capital. £ £ 1905 5,544,340 113,405,121 1906 6,759,100 128,768,738 1907 6,044,790 121,032,376 1908 5,633,741 112,005,111 1909 8,228,615 127,425,593
EXEMPTION OF LAND.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his proposed Amendment to Clause 25 of the Finance Bill, page 17, line 13, at end, differentiates between different types of friendly societies engaged in similar work; and on what grounds it is proposed to define a registered society in different terms to those previously employed in the Friendly Societies Acts?
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in amending the postponed Clause 25 of the Finance Bill as regards registered societies, he will consider the advisability of treating as registered societies all societies which have been registered as friendly societies under the Friendly Societies Acts, independently of whether they are or are not restricted by their rules from dividing any part of their funds amongst their members?
The proposed Amendment differentiates between societies which are and those which are not restricted by their rules from dividing any part of their funds among their members. This difference between dividing and non-dividing societies is recognised in the Friendly Societies Acts. The purpose of the Finance Bill, of course, differs from that of the Friendly Societies Acts, and the question whether dividing societies can properly be given the same favourable treatment as non-dividing societies is receiving consideration.
Tallow and Fat (Prices).
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the average monthly prices of fat and town tallow in Manchester, Liverpool, and London for each month from February, 1908, to July, 1909, inclusive?
The following table gives the information desired:—
Average Monthly Prices of Tallow and Pat in Manchester, Liverpool and London, from February, 1908, to July, 1909. Month. Town Tallow. Fat.† London.* Liverpool and Manchester. London.* Liverpool. Manchester. 1908. Per cwt. Per cwt. Per 8 lbs. Per 8 lbs. Per 8 lbs. s. d. s. d. d. s. d. s. d. February … … … 31 0 ¾ 30 8.4 9.4 1 2.9 1 5½ March … … … 29 9 28 9 8½ 1 2½ 1 5.1 April … … … 299 29 3 8½ 1 3 1 5.7 May … … … 29 9 29 3 8½ 1 2.9 1 5.7 June … … … 29 9 29 6 8½ 1 3.1 1 5.6 July … … … 30 9.6 30 6 9.2 1 3.8 1 5.7 August … … … 31 3 30 9¾ 9½ 1 3.6 1 5.4 September … … … 31 4.8 31 6 9.6 1 3.9 1 6.9 October … … … 32 0 31 11¼ 10 1 4 1 6.8 November … … … 31 3 31 11¼ 9½ 1 3.8 1 6.6 December … … … 306 32 8.4 9 1 4.1 1 8.1 1909. January … … … 30 8 ¾ 0 9.1 1 4.5 1 8.2 February … … … 31 3 32 7½ 9½ 1 4.4 1 6.7 March … … … 30 9.6 31 8.4 9.2 1 3½ 1 6.5 April … … … 30 6 31 3 9 1 2½ 1 5.9 May … … … 30 6 31 0 9 1 2½ 1 5.4 June … … … 30 6 30 6.6 9 1 2½ 1 5½ July … … … 31 0¾ 30 6 9.4 1 2½ 1 5.3 * Mean of prices given in London Market Letter. † The price of fat in London is the basis price for rough fat of lowest quality. The prices for Liverpool and Manchester are for fats of better quality.
Army Subalterns (Extra Pay).
asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he can state if subaltern officers draw Is. per day extra pay after seven years' service as full lieutenant in this country but not while serving in India; and, if so, can he state why a distinction is made?
The facts are as stated by the hon. Member. The Indian pay regulations are framed on a different system from those in force at home. Subalterns of the British Army, whether they have more or less than seven years' service, get more pay in India than in England.
Evicted Tenants (County Cavan).
asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state when the Estates Commissioners first decided that Thomas O'Donnell, an evicted tenant from Drum-conlester, county Cavan, was suitable to be provided with a farm, has this decision been altered; if so, when; will he state the grounds of the fresh decision, if any; and whether O'Donnell was given an opportunity of knowing about or being present at the proceedings affecting the interest of this evicted tenant and his family?
O'Donnell's name was provisionally noted in 1907 for consideration in the allotment of untenanted land, but, on further consideration, the Estates Commissioners decided to take no action on his application. The Commissioners inform me that they communicated this decision to the hon. Member on behalf of the applicant. O'Donnell's sister had been reinstated in the holding referred to in his application. She appears to have been the original tenant.
also asked the Chief Secretary if he will state whether the Estates Commissioners intend to have Charles Lynch, who was evicted from his farm in the townland of Killycannon, county Cavan, reinstated; how often has this evicted tenant been inspected, and what is the date of the last inspection; and how many evicted tenants still await reinstatement in county Cavan?
Lynch's former holding is in the occupation of another tenant, and his application has been provisionally noted by the Estates Commissioners for consideration in the allotment of such untenanted land in the county Cavan as they may be able to acquire. Thirty-seven applications from other persons in county Cavan seeking reinstatement as evicted tenants have been similarly noted for consideration.
further asked the Chief Secretary if he will state what lands have been acquired in county Cavan under the Evicted Tenants Act; how many evicted tenants are yet to be reinstated in this county; what work, if any, has been done in county Cavan for the evicted tenants since 1st May last; and will he give the names of the owner, townland, and area acquired, or proposed to be acquired, under the Evicted Tenants Act in county Cavan?
No lands have yet been acquired by the Estates Commissioners in the county Cavan under the evicted Tenants Act, but some 500 acres in that county are in process of being acquired under the provisions of that Act comprising portions of the lands of Corehill, Lecharry, Mullacastle, Tonylion, Leiter, Ballytrust, Ballytrust lower, Drumakinneo, Cornacarrow, Lisgannon, Ratrussan, on the estate of John Fay, part of the lands of Pottle on the estate of Eugene MacManus, and part of the lands of Rosehill and Gort-naleck on the estate of Thomas Fegan. The applications of 38 persons seeking reinstatement as evicted tenants have been noted for consideration in the allotment of such untenanted land as the Commissioners may acquire under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907.