asked the Postmaster-General, how many rural sub-offices and town sub-offices have been revised since the 1st January, 1908, and the number of officers in each category that have been detrimentally affected?

The numbers of sub-offices at which the remuneration has been revised since the 1st January, 1908, in connection with the recommendations of the Select Committee on Post Office Servants are approximately as follows:—Rural sub-offices, 15,035; town sub-offices, 5,875. The application of the new system of remuneration did not involve any reductions of pay.

asked how many town sub-offices enjoy the benefit of a weekly half-holiday, and at how many rural sub-offices have the hours of attendance been restricted on bank holidays?

I regret that statistics giving the information asked for are not available, and cannot be obtained without some delay. I can assure the hon. Member that questions of affording relief to sub-postmasters frequently come before me, and are favourably considered whenever possible.

asked the number of letters, parcels, and telegrams, respectively, dealt with at the Stornaway post office during last year as compared with 1898, the year succeeding the introduction of an extended postal service in rural districts?

The figures asked for are not at present available. I will communicate with the hon. Member later.

asked the age, tonnage, and passenger accommodation of the Stornoway mail steamer, and for how many years she has been employed on the service; is he aware that, although her contract speed is only eleven nautical miles an hour, she is constantly late in her arrival at Stornoway; have any penalties yet been inflicted on the owners for not running to time; and, seeing that the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company run a steamer at the rate of fourteen nautical miles an hour on the mail service between Liverpool and Douglas, Isle of Man, will he state whether there is any reason why the present Stornoway steamer, serving a population of 30,000 in the island of Lewis, should not be superseded by a faster and more commodious boat?

The steamer "Sheila" has been employed on the Stornoway mail service since she was built in 1904. Her tonnage is 280, and she is reported to have accommodation for 279 passengers. The "Sheila" fulfils the contract requirement that the steamer employed shall perform the service at a speed of 11 sea miles an hour, and shall maintain the scheduled hours unless prevented by bad weather. Her speed according to Lloyd's list is 14 miles an hour, and her normal speed is 12 miles an hour. The unpunctuality in the arrival at Stornoway is chiefly due to the late running of the trains from the south, in connection with which the steamer works. Little time is lost on the voyage between Kyle and Stornoway; and that loss being in every case due to bad weather, no penalties have been incurred by the contractors.Under the Contract for the Isle of Man mail steam service, to which my hon. friend refers, the speed prescribed is 12 sea miles an hour for the seven winter months, and 14 for the five summer months; but I need hardly point out that the mail and passenger traffic between Liverpool and the Isle of Man is very-much greater than that between Kyle and Stornoway. The cost of the Stornoway mail service, including the steamer subsidy, is already more than 2½ times the revenue, calculated in the usual way, and I regret that I should not be justified in incurring the additional expense necessary to secure the provision of a faster steamer.

asked the Home Secretary what local authorities have made by-laws under the Employment of Children Act, 1903, since the Return issued in July, 1907, relating to employment of children (Section 1) and to street trading by persons under sixteen (Section 2)?

The counties, boroughs, and districts in England and Wales for which by-laws have been made and confirmed under the Employment of Children Act since the Return of 1907 are given in the lists below. As the question only appeared on the Paper this morning I have been unable to obtain the information as regards Scotland and Ireland.

asked the Home Secretary whether the special recruitment of men from Scotland and the North of England for the Metropolitan Police necessitates any alteration of the present system of recruiting in London; and whether he will take care that the claims of suitable applicants in the Metropolitan district are not overlooked?

The special measures taken in no way modify the existing system of recruiting in London, which proceeds without interruption. The only difficulty anticipated is that of getting sufficient men possessed of the necessary qualifications, and there need be no fear that the claims of suitable applicants in the Metropolitan Police district will be overlooked.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can give the membership of the Friendly Society of Operative Masons in each of the last ten years; and whether he can state what is the amount of this society's superannuation allowance at present and five years ago?

—			Beef.	Mutton.	Pork.	Meat unenumerated (except Rabbits).	Total.
			Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.
Chilled	…	…	2,663,573	469	878	4,100	2,669,020
Frozen	…	…	3,415,214	4,567,947	13,030	392,365	8,388,556
Total	…	…	6,078,787	4,568,416	13,908	396,465	11,057,576

Returns received by the Board of Trade from the Operative Stonemasons' Society of England and Wales show that the membership at end of each year 1899-1908 was as follows:—

Year.	Membership (exclusive of widows).
1899	19,079
1900	19,419
1901	18,684
1902	17,805
1903	17,140
1904	16,303
1905	14,981
1906	13,245
1907	11,442
1908	9,596

The returns for 1909 have not yet been received.The rates fixed by the society's latest revised rules for superannuation allowance are:—4s. per week for members of 30 years' standing, and 5s. per week for members of 40 years' standing.The rates according to rules in force five years ago were:—5s. per week for members of 20 years standing6s. per week for members of 25 years standing7s. per week for members of 30 years standing8s. per week for members of 35 years standing and9s. per week for members of 40 years standing

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, as a result of the restrictions on the importation of live cattle into this country for slaughter, the importation of chilled and frozen meat is increasing; and if he will state the total quantities imported during each of the last five years?

The imports of chilled and frozen meat were not separately recorded in the Trade Returns of the United Kingdom prior to 1909. In that year the quantities of such meat imported were as follows:—

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will state the number of school places, the number of children on the register, and the number in average attendance for the school years ending 31st July, 1903, and 31st July, 1909, in council schools in England and Wales; will he give the same information with regard to Anglican, Roman Catholic, Wesleyan, Jewish, British, and other schools, respectively; and if he will supply similar statistics for each of the under-mentioned counties, including in each case county boroughs, Cumberland, Durham, Northumberland, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Westmoreland, Yorkshire, North Riding, Yorkshire, East Riding, Yorkshire, West Riding?

1902–3.
—				Number of Schools.	Accommodation.	Average Attendance (Actual).	Average Number on Registers.
Council	…	…	…	5,975	3,065,169	2,442,901	2,862,058
Voluntary	…	…	…	14,238	3,722,317	2,587,318	3,096,781
Total	…	…	…	20,213	6,787,486	5,030,219	5,958,839
1908–9.
—				Number of Schools.	Accommodation.	Average Attendance (Actual).	Average Number on Registers.
Council	…	…	…	7,580	3,828,457	3,037,385	3,404,995
Voluntary	…	…	…	13,087	3,267,217	2,306,920	2,601,145
Total	…	…	…	20,667	7,095,674	5,344,305	6,006,140

The Board of Education have not since the year 1903 kept statistics of the matters referred to in respect of the various denominations, and it would accordingly be impossible, without a scrutiny of the statistical sheets for the two years named of all the voluntary schools, numbering from 13,000 to 14,000, to give my hon. Friend the information he desires. In the circumstances I hope that he will be satisfied with the information conveyed by the tables given below. It was not possible to give similar information in respect of the particular areas named for the year 1902–3, but it has been given for the year 1908–9. The tables below relate to ordinary public elementary schools —i.e.,., all schools other than higher elementary schools recognised under the Code:—

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury why the old age pension granted to Mrs. Nancy Cannon, Carrowcannon, Falcarragh, by the Dunfanaghy sub-committee on 17th February has not yet been paid?

The delay was due to an oversight, which is regretted. Instructions have now been issued for the delivery of a pension order book to Mrs. Cannon covering the whole period from the date upon which the pension became legally payable.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury by whom the pension officers in Ireland were instructed, as specified in paragraph 14 of the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General on Old Age Pensions, in which he deals with small holdings; and whether the first of two references to the Local Government Board in that paragraph refers to the Irish Local Government Board?

The action of the pension officers in Ireland in adopting a rough and ready method of assessment of the profits derived from small agricultural holdings in certain cases was covered by general instructions from the Commissioners of Inland Revenue under No. 34 of the Old Age Pensions Regulations, 1908. The answer to the second question is in the affirmative. I would, however, suggest to my right hon. Friend that it might be convenient to defer any questions which may arise upon matters which are now before the Committee of Public Accounts until the Report of that Committee has been presented.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Hugh Coyne, of Ballinabol, Castlebar, county Mayo, was awarded 4s. a week under the Old Age Pension Act, and continued to draw this pension until on the marriage of his son ha assigned his interest in his land to the latter; that he was then advised by the pension officer to raise a question of means with a view to having the pension increased to 5s. a week; that, on his raising such question, the pension officer reported that he was entitled to no pension; whether he is aware that the local committee, on investigating the case, allowed Coyne 5s. a week, and the Local Government Board, on appeal by the pension officer, decided that Coyne was not entitled to any pension; will he state upon what grounds this decision was arrived at, and ask the Local Government Board to inquire carefully into the circumstances of the case, which is now before them on a second application by Coyne?

I understand that the facts of this case are as stated in the question, save that the Local Government Board do not know by whose advice the pensioner raised the question of means. They decided that he was not entitled to any pension on the ground that his means exceeded £31 10s. per annum, and they are now inquiring into a fresh claim which he has put forward.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Bridget M'Gennis, of Westport, county Mayo, was in receipt of an old age pension granted by the Westport pension sub-committee with the approval of the local pension officer, and that, on a question of age subsequently raised by the pension officer, the local committee decided that she was obviously over seventy years old and continued the pension; whether he is aware that the Local Government Board on appeal disallowed the pension on the grounds that the pensioner's name did not appear in the Census record of her family in the year 1841; whether the Local Government Board, before coming to this decision, examined such record or a copy of it; whether he is aware that it appears from this record that the parents of Bridget M'Gennis were married in 1814, and were aged, respectively, 56 and 55 years in 1841; and will he state how the Local Government Board arrived at the conclusion, notwithstanding the unanimous opinion of the sub-committee, supported by the pension officer in the first instance, that she was born after the year 1839, when, according to the Census record, her parents had been twenty-five years married and were aged, respectively, 51 and 53 years?

I understand that, on the question being raised, the pension subcommittee held that Bridget M'Gennis was seventy years of age. The pension officer appealed against this decision, and the Local Government Board allowed the appeal on the ground that the pensioner's name did not appear in the Census returns of 1841 among the members of her parents' family. The Board invited further evidence, but the claimant could not produce any. The Board do not personally search or examine the Census records. This is done by the Public Record Office, and the results are notified to the Board by the pension officer. The report in the present case did not give the particulars mentioned in the question as to the claimant's parents, nor did the claimant submit them to the Board. If she is now in a position to submit further evidence as to the date of her parents' marriage, and as to their ages in 1841, it is open to her to make a fresh claim.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that, immediately after the passing of the Old Age Pensions Act, Mary Corley, Carheens, Breaffy, Castlebar, applied to the local committee for a pension; that the pension officer re ported that she was entitled to 4s. per week, and the committee allowed 5s. per week; that the Local Government Board, on appeal by the pension officer, decided on the grounds of means that she was entitled to no pension; and will he say whether, in coming to this decision, the Local Government Board followed the judgment of the superior courts in the Pawley case?

The facts are as stated in the question. The judgment of the Court of Appeal in the Pawley case is not applicable to this case, which was a claim for a pension. The judgment applies only to questions respecting pensions already granted.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will recommend to the Estates Commissioners the advisability of providing a holding for Mrs. Timothy Davin, Eglish, Ballybrophy, Queen's County, on the untenanted land upon the Hopkins estate, in the same neighbourhood, as her case has been before the Estates Commissioners since 1907 and the validity of her claim admitted?

The Estates Commissioners have inquired into and considered the application of Mrs. Timothy Davin for reinstatement in a holding on the Good-body estate, which has been purchased by the present occupier under the Land Purchase Acts, and they have decided not to take any action in the matter. It is not their intention to provide her with a farm in addition to the one on which she and her husband reside.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that small holdings have been let by several county councils at rents based on certain periods for the repayment of loans recommended by the Board of Agriculture; that the Local Government Board have now refused to sanction such long periods for repayment, thereby necessitating an increase of rents after the terms had been settled with the tenants; and whether he will endeavour to promote better co-operation between Government Departments so as to prevent such confusion in future?

I understand that the matter to which reference is made is engaging the attention of my colleagues, the Presidents of the two Departments concerned, and I have no doubt that it will be satisfactorily settled at an early date.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the infection of anthrax being conveyed through insufficient disinfection of the holds of vessels and waggons which have carried hides, horns, etc., previous to carrying feeding stuffs and fertilisers; and whether he can take steps to prevent such causes of infection?

AVERAGE PRICES OF BEEF AT CERTAIN MARKETS DURING THE YEARS 1907, 1908 AND 1909.
(Compiled from Reports received from, the Board's Market Reporters.)
Beef (1st Quality).	London.						Birmingham.						Edinburgh.
	1907.		1908.		1909.		1907.		1908.		1909.		1907.		1908.		1909.
	per cwt.		per cwt.		per cwt.		per cwt.		per cwt.		per cwt.		per cwt.		per cwt.		per cwt.
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
English	52	4	54	7	55	3	51	4	53	10	54	2	53	10*	56	9*	57	2*
American and Canadian (Port killed)	53	2	55	6	55	9	50	0	52	3	52	11	51	1	52	0	54	0
American Chilled Hind Quarters	56	0	58	7	59	2	54	7	58	10	59	9	55	9	60	2	60	9
* Scotch Long Sides

Yes, we are aware of the possible danger of infection in the manner to which the hon. Member refers and we have issued a Notice to shipowners on the subject, of which I shall be pleased to send the hon. Member a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture the average market prices in 1907, 1908, and 1909 of home-fed beef, home-killed beef, American port-killed beef, and American chilled hindquarters in each of the following towns: — London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Cardiff, Birmingham and Sheffield?

The following table will, I think, afford the information asked for. The term "English" includes Home-fed beef and Home-killed beef.