asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state the gross income assessed on Government officials for each part of the United Kingdom for the years 1898–9 and 1908–9?

Gross income assessed on Government officials for each part of the United Kingdom for the years 1898–9 and 1908–9 (i.e., salaries, etc., public offices, including Army, Navy, and Civil Service):—

asked the Secretary to the Treasury when the Report of the Treasury Committee on University Colleges, dealing with the distribution of the balance of the Grant for 1909–10 and the Treasury Minute thereon, will be published?

Very shortly.

asked the Chief Secretary what are the names and areas of the various denominations of untenanted land in county Cavan which have been acquired by the Estates Commissioners since 1st November, 1907, and the average price paid per acre; and will he state the names and areas of the various denominations of such lands in, county Cavan in reference to which negotiations are at present pending?

The Estates Commissioners have acquired 2,037 acres of untenanted land in county Cavan since 1st November, 1907. In addition they have made offers for 410 acres of untenanted land in that county. The detailed particulars asked for could not be given without withdrawing the Commissioners' staff from other and more important duties. Particulars of all estates and untenanted land sold are included in the monthly returns of advances presented to Parliament according as they are vested in purchasers.

asked the Chief Secretary what are the names and areas of the various denominations of untenanted land in county Limerick which have been acquired by the Estates Commissioners; and what are the names and areas of the various denominations of such lands in the county of Limerick in reference to which negotiations are at present pending?

The Estates Commissioners have acquired 3,836 acres of untenanted land in county Limerick, and have in addition made offers for estates comprising 1,846 acres of untenanted land, The further particulars asked for in the question could not be given without withdrawing the Commissioners' staff from other and more important work. Detailed particulars of all estates and untenanted land sold and vested in purchasers are given in the monthly returns of advances presented to Parliament.

asked the Chief Secretary whether purchase agreements, signed by Michael Mara, Michael Creena, William Hogan, and John Moylan, tenants on the lands known as Coolroe and Lisgreen, on the estate of William O'Meara, situate at Abbeyville, Lorrha, North Tipperary, have been lodged with the Estates Commissioners; whether the lands have been declared an estate; and, if not, how the matter at present stands?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that the answer to the first two parts of the question is in the negative. No proceedings have been instituted before them for the sale of these lands.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will state upon what evidence the Local Government Board have disallowed the pension which was granted to Mrs. Ann Dunleary, of Lugdoon, Temple-boy, county Sligo, by the pension sub-committee, and which was paid to her from 1st February, 1909, till 24th February, 1910; upon whose appeal it was disallowed; whether he is aware of the fact that in this case the sub-committee, had submitted to them the birth certificate of applicant's second child, Anny Dunleary, whose age is forty-seven years; whether he is aware that the sub-committee had also reliable evidence of old people in the district to show that applicant was over seventy years of age; and whether he will direct that this woman's pension be continued and the arrears paid to her?

In this case the pension officer appealed on the ground of age, the pensioner being specifically recorded in the Census Returns of 1841 as only one month old in that year. The birth certificate referred to shows that Ann Dunleary would now be only forty-four years old. The other general evidence of age referred to could not outweigh the evidence afforded by the Census Returns in this case. There is no power to take the action suggested in the last paragraph of the question.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware of the circumstances under which Edward Noble, of Lugdoon, Templeboy, county Sligo, was deprived of his pension by the Local Government Board on 24th February, 1910; whether he is aware that the applicant's marriage certificate, which was produced to the sub-committee, shows that he was married forty-four years ago, that the application was supported by the evidence of the applicant, who swore he was twenty-eight years of age at the date of his marriage, by the evidence of Edward Williams, of Grangebeg, who is seventy-four years of age, who swore that the applicant was as old as himself, and by the evidence of Charles Kelly, since deceased at the age of eighty-four years, who stated to members of the sub-committee that the applicant was, to his knowledge, over seventy years; and whether he will order payment of this man's pension from the date of its discontinuance?

According to the Census Returns of 1841 the pensioner's parents had no children at that time, and in the Returns of 1851 he appears as eight years old. The Local Government Board were unable to hold that the Census Records were disproved by the statements referred to in the question, and they therefore upheld the pension officer's appeal. There is no power to order the continuance of the pension.

asked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the case of Mrs. Catherine Golden, Lugdoon, Templeboy, county Sligo, whose application for a pension was granted by the sub-committee but disallowed by the Local Government Board on 24th February, 1910; whether he is aware that the fact that the applicant was qualified on the score of age was testified to by P. Feehily, an old age pensioner, whose age was seventy-two years, and by another man whose age is well over seventy years; that it was also satisfactorily proved to the pension sub-committee that the applicant was married over fifty-one years ago, and that, in rejecting her claim, the Local Government Board set aside all this evidence and proceeded solely on the absence of an entry of the claimant's name from the Census Returns; and whether, in the whole circumstances, he will ask the Local Government Board to direct that payment shall forthwith be made to this woman of her pension?

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension in supposing that the Local Government Board acted in this case solely on the absence of the claimant's name from the Census Returns. Her parents' family was traced in the Census Records both of 1841 and 1851. In the former her name did not appear, and in the latter she was returned as nine years old. The only evidence as to her marriage was a certificate that her eldest child was baptised on 30th Novem- ber, 1862. The Board have no power to give the direction suggested in the last paragraph of the question.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he can give any indication as to the date when the inquiry will be held into the advisability of extending the fishing season in the Londonderry B. No. 15/1 district (Fresh Water); and if he can hold out any prospect of the result of the inquiry being made public before the close of the present fishing season in this district?

Inquiries into the application for an alteration in the close season in the district in question will be held in Londonderry, Limavady, and Strabane on 14th, 17th, and 18th of May respectively. The Department of Agriculture will lose no time in coming to a decision on the evidence given. No more definite announcement can be made at present.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state how many of the twenty destroyers of last year's programme were actually laid down on 2nd March last; what was the actual date on which each destroyer was laid down; and at what yard is the work undertaken in each case?

The facts are as follows:—

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to postcards, printed or otherwise duplicated, that have been sent by responsible officers of the Territorial Army to non-commissioned officers and members of the ranks asking them to state by certain specified dates whether they are willing to serve abroad, and stating that in the event of their replying in the affirmative they will receive a distinctive badge; whether the War Office countenances such proceedings; whether, as these postcards have been printed and duplicated, the expense is to be borne by official moneys at the disposal of the county associations; whether, as these postcards are couched in practically the same language, they have emanated from the War Office; and, if not, whether the War Office has any information as to their origin?

I have now seen one of these postcards, for which I am obliged to the hon. Member. These postcards have not emanated from the War Office nor has the Army Council any knowledge as to their origin or as to arrangements as to incidence of cost. Usually the cost of such, inquiries would fall on the contingent fund of the commanding officer. My present answer may be regarded as equivalent to instructions that no pressure direct or indirect is to be put upon any man of the Territorial Force to induce him to undertake this obligation.

asked whether any members of the Territorial Force have complied with Army Order E 624, setting forth the terms of an agreement whereby members of that force are invited to subject themselves to service Abroad in any place outside the United Kingdom, and, if so, how many; and whether, in view of the fact that the Territorial Force is intended for the purpose of Home defence, what steps it is proposed to take to fill, with adequately trained men, the gaps in the Home Defence Force which will be occasioned by the absence of the existing Territorialists?

A number of men have accepted the liability to service abroad, but the exact figures are not yet available. Should it ever prove necessary to employ these men for service abroad in time of war, it is not contemplated that they will be so used until the Territorial Force has had a considerable amount of training on embodiment. By that time the Territorial Force Reserve and the men who on embodiment were recruits should together more than suffice to fill their places.

asked the Secretary for War if he will state whether, seeing that the price of ammunition in rifle clubs is so high that it prevents many from taking part in these clubs, he can see his way to materially reducing the price?

Will the hon. and gallant Member kindly refer to my reply to a question put on this subject yesterday by the hon. Member for the East Division of Wiltshire, to which I have nothing to add?

asked if any of the guns lately removed from Gibraltar have been replaced?

Certain alterations have been and are still being made in the armaments with the view of modernising and strengthening the defences.

asked the Secretary for War whether he is yet in a position to state on what date the new school of instruction for officers of the Yeomanry will be open?

Courses of instruction for junior Yeomanry officers will in future be held at the new Cavalry depots, and until these are opened General Officers Commanding in Chief are authorised to form the necessary instructional courses which will usually take place at the headquarters of selected Cavalry regiments. The senior Yeomanry officers will still be attached to Cavalry regiments for a course of instruction prior to promotion to the rank of major, and voluntary courses will also be held for them at the Cavalry School, Netheravon. There is no intention of opening a new school of instruction for Yeomanry officers.

asked what was the number of swords, bayonets, and pistols in the ordinary reserve and in the war reserve, respectively, on 31st March, 1910?

It is neither customary nor desirable to publish the amounts of armaments or arms retained in reserve.

asked the Secretary for War if he will increase the allowance granted to Yeomanry regiments for hire of horses for preliminary instruction drills; and will the allowance be based on the average of ten mounted drills for both recruits and trained men, seeing that the Government allowance granted to Yeomanry regiments for hire of horses necessary for preliminary drills is £150, and the average number of recruits may be taken at eighty, and that if fifteen mounted drills be taken as the minimum which they should perform before being dismissed recruits' course, and 2s. 6d. per horse per drill as the average charge at which the horse can be provided for one hour in a riding school, it will be seen that the above allowance is barely sufficient for preliminary training of recruits of a regiment, and leaves nothing for hire of horses for trained men?

I shall be prepared to take into consideration, with other circumstances, those adduced by the hon. and gallant Member, when sufficient experience has been accumulated to call for a revision of these grants; but, with the experience of the Imperial Yeomanry before me, I cannot promise any increase.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will state whether, although Army officers receive their pay in arrears, they have to pay for any horses they hire from His Majesty's Government in advance; and, if so, whether he can recommend that officers should pay for their horses when they receive their pay?

The question refers to chargers supplied to officers for military purposes and hired by them for other than military purposes, for which payments are made quarterly in advance. There does not appear to be any hardship in this matter, and I see no strong reason for the suggested concession. Presumably the hon. and gallant Member has forgotten that regimental officers are paid monthly in advance.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the officer commanding the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Cork so interferes in matters of conscience with men under his command as to prevent them from deciding for themselves whether they shall belong to one religion or another; and whether, seeing that such matters being entirely for a man's own conscience, should be left to a man's own discretion, instructions will be given to this officer that in future he must not interfere with or punish in any way men when they make a choice of religion for themselves?

The hon. Member is apparently alluding to a case which occurred last year, and was settled by the Army Council. Nothing is known of the subsequent occurrence of any similar case in this regiment, and it is not considered necessary to issue any instructions on this matter.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he will state the Grants made from the £100,000 voted for the erection of provided schools in single school areas under his predecessor; whether in any case a Grant has been made to supply an ordinary deficiency in school accommodation, or whether Grants have been actually restricted to areas in which no provided school existed; and whether the Board will make any such Grant for the building of a provided school to supply an ordinary deficiency?

A statement of the Grants paid up to 31st March, 1910, will be laid on the Table of the House very shortly. No Grants have been made to supply an ordinary deficiency in school accommodation, but the Grants are not restricted under the Regulations-to areas in which no council school exists. The answer to the last paragraph is in the negative.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether emigration from India to the Federated Malay States has been definitely and permanently prohibited?

The prohibition, which is definite and intended to be permanent, applies only to indentured labour emigration from India to the Federated Malay States.

asked whether the emigration of coolies from India to the Federated Malay States, which is calculated to account for not less than 1,500 coolies per month, will now be diverted to Ceylon; or whether the coolies concerned will be deprived of one, without being furnished with another, opportunity of employment?

If my hon. Friend has in mind the recent decision to stop indentured emigration from India to the Malay States—a decision rendered imperative by the mortality among such emigrants—I invite his attention to the fact that its effect on employment is not likely to be appreciable, having regard to the small proportion that such emigration bears to the total emigration to the Malay States.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Special Committee appointed to work out in detail the recommendations of the Treasury Committee on Oriental Studies have come to any conclusions or made any recommendations to the Government; if so, what; and, if not, how much longer do the Government propose to wait before giving effect to the urgent recommendations of the Treasury Committee?

The Committee has not yet had time to arrive at or report conclusions. The Government, having appointed the Committee, must obviously await its Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if there are at the present time any British interests in the Chinese Northern Railway which have not been settled; and, if so, what prospect there is of an early settlement being arrived at?

I am not aware of any British interests in the Chinese Northern Railway awaiting settlement, but if the hon. Member will state exactly to what he refers I will make further inquiry.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he can furnish particulars regarding any reductions of establishment proposed to be carried out in the Ordnance Survey, Ireland, during the year beginning 1st April, 1910; and will he see that due consideration is given in cases of long, qualified, and faithful service?

So far as can be foreseen at present, about thirty-five civil assistants, temporary civil assistants, and labourers will have to be discharged this year when the Cork division is broken up In carrying out these discharges the fullest possible consideration will be given to cases of long and faithful service.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether a daily subsistence allowance of at least Is. to cover the extra cost of living and removals will be granted to surveyors and chainmen employed in the Ordnance Survey, Ireland?

Allowances of 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per diem are granted to surveyors, and of 1s. to 1s. 6d. to chainmen, in Ireland during absence from permanent quarters up to a total of ten days. These allowances have been in. force for many years, not only in Ireland but throughout the United Kingdom.

also asked what amount annually represents the cost to the public for pay, working pay, lodging, and fuel and light allowance, and all other emoluments whatsoever, including allowance for clothing, of a soldier of the Royal Engineers employed as chainman on the Ordnance Survey; and what is the average similar cost for soldiers so employed?

It is not the practice of the Ordnance Survey to employ either Royal Engineers or other soldiers as chainmen.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been directed to the case of the death of a child of George James Duke, of 26, Laburnum Street, Shoreditch, upon whom an inquest was held on 11th February, and in which the medical evidence showed that the death of the child was due to inanition accelerated by the starvation of the mother, and upon which the jury added a rider to their verdict to the effect that the allowance of food should have been more liberal and should have been continued longer; whether he has inquired into the case; and, if so, with what result?

I have been in communication with the Shoreditch Guardians about this case. It appears that on 13th January, two days after the birth of his child, the father applied to the relieving officer for relief, and that bread, sugar, oatmeal, and milk were supplied. On 17th January he made another application, and food was again given by the relieving officer. The father did not apply again for relief. The guardians have inquired into the case through a committee, who report that they regret the circumstances, and particularly that more adequate relief was not given in the case and that it was not watched for a time by the relieving officer, but that blame attaches to the father in that he did not renew his application.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the reason why no train is run to Parkmore, county Antrim, station on Sundays; whether he is aware that the failure to run this train deprives the people of the Glens of Antrim, who are employed in Belfast, of the opportunity of visiting their homes on Sundays, and generally is a source of dissatisfaction and of complaint; whether he can state the reason why the trains do not carry passengers to Retreat station, and why the people of Cushendall are, in consequence, compelled to travel seven miles to the trains; whether he can state the reason why return tickets between Parkmore and Ballymena are not issued except at double £he ordinary single fares; whether he can state the reason why the railway company raises the tourist car fares during the summer months by over 50 per cent, on the Antrim Glens routes; and whether he will make inquiries into these matters, and also into the reason why reduced fares for return tickets are not charged to the Antrim Glens on one day of the week the same as on the main line?

I have sent a copy of the hon. Member's question to the Northern Counties Committee for their observations on the points raised, and I will communicate with him on receipt of their reply.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will grant the Return standing in the name of the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydvil for the 5th April? [The Return for which the hon. Member asked was intended to show: (1) those persons who have been appointed to the higher position under the Board of Trade to administer the Labour Exchanges Act; (2) the position filled by each person; (3) the qualifications and previous experience of each; (4) the salary connected with each appointment; and (5) the date of appointment.]

presented the following statement, showing those persons who have been appointed to the higher positions under the Board of Trade to administer the Labour Exchanges Act; date of appointment, position to which appointed, and salary:—