asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state when the clerks of the pension sub-committees in North Galway were paid their fees for the quarters ending 30th September and 31st December last; and whether, in future the payments will be made without delay?

The fees in question were paid for the September quarter on the 2nd ultimo, and for the December quarter on the 31st ultimo. Delay in making payment occurs only when difficulties arise in establishing the correctness of claims.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that Hugh Conlon, of Ballymote, county Sligo, was granted a pension by the local sub-committee on 1st January, 1909, and was in receipt of the same up to June, 1909, when the pension officer raised a question as to age, which was reinvestigated by the committee, who, on a sworn declaration, made by an old man of eighty-four, being produced, decided in favour of the applicant; whether he is aware that the pension officer appealed against that decision, the result being that the pension was stopped on 11th June, 1909; whether a second application was made by Conlon, when, it being found that the applicant was four years Old in 1841, he was again placed on the list on 11th February, 1910, and is now receiving his pension; and, if so, whether the amount of which this man was deprived between 11th June, 1909, and 11th February, 1910, will now be refunded to him?

This question appears to relate to Hugh Condon, not Conlon. I understand that the facts are generally as stated, and I am making further inquiry into the case.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will state the grounds upon which James Kennedy, No. 1,522 in the Longford sub-district register of old age pensions, after being granted a pension on two occasions, has been struck off the list; whether evidence of age by two respectable persons was tendered; and will he direct that this man's case be reconsidered?

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension in assuming that James Kennedy's name has been struck off the list of pensioners of the Longford sub-district. He was never on the pension list. He sent in two claims, but on neither occasion did he give any satisfactory evidence of age, and his claim was accordingly disallowed by the Local Government Board.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will state on what grounds Alice Mulvey, No. 445 in the pension officer's register of Longford district, has been refused a pension; and whether he is aware that this woman has no visible means of support outside the sum of which she has now been deprived?

The Local Government Board upheld the Pension Officer's appeal in this case on the ground that Alice Mulvey's means exceeded the statutory limit. I am not aware that she is without visible means of support, on the contrary, I understand, she is the tenant of a farm of twelve acres.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will state on what grounds Catherine M'Conchy, of Drumhalry, North Longford, has been deprived of her pension; whether he is aware that the pension officer, a man named Combe, told her recently that whilst he was pension officer he would never allow her to get the pension; and will he therefore direct an inquiry to be made by an independent officer into this woman's case?

This woman has not, so far as the Local Government Board are aware, been deprived of a pension. The pension officer appealed against the allowance of her claim by the pension sub-committee and the Board upheld his appeal, as the evidence submitted was not sufficient to show that she had reached the statutory age. The case is at present again before the Board, on appeal against the allowance of a second claim; and, unless she can produce evidence sufficient to disprove the accuracy of the entry in the Census Return of 1851, showing that she was then only seven years old, her claim must again be disallowed. The Board have no knowledge of the statement alleged to have been made by the pension officer. In any event the final decision as to a pension, if the pension officer objects to its allowance by the Committee, does not rest with that officer, but with the Local Government Board.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware of the unsatisfactory state of feeling which exists in the districts of Ballydoogan, Boston, and Kilrickle, owing to the delay in distributing the untenanted land on the Gowing Estate, Dartfield, the Daly Estate, Holly Hill, and the estate of Captain Burke and others, Ballydoogan, Loughrea; whether he is aware that the lands mentioned have been purchased for a considerable time by the Estates Com- missioners; and can he give an approximate idea as to the date when the Government expect to be able to fulfil their obligation in connection with those properties?

The first estate mentioned in the question has been acquired by the Estates Commissioners, but the scheme for the distribution of the untenanted land comprised in it has not yet been finally settled. The other two estates have not been purchased by the Commissioners.

asked the Chief Secretary whether any arrangement has been arrived at as between the Estates Commissioners and the Congested Districts Board in respect to estates inspected and the control of which is in the hands of the Estates Commissioners; and whether, with a view to preventing delay, permission will now be given to the Commissioners to proceed with such schemes of improvement as they had in hand, and which would have been proceeded with by them except for the passage of the Land Act, 1910?

I understand that judgment was given by the Judicial Commissioner on Monday last on a question of law as to the relative positions of the Estates Commissioners and the Congested Districts Board in respect of estates situate in congested districts counties for the sale of which proceedings are pending before the Commissioners. The arrangements consequent on the judgment are still under the consideration of the Commissioners.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what arrangement, if any, has been come to with the promoters of the Collooney-Belmullet Railway (known as the All-Red Route) as to the Government grant of£135,000 towards the construction of a line of railway to Belmullet; if such grant is under offer to the promoters of the Collooney-Belmullet Railway, for what length of time will such offer hold good; in the event of their inability to raise the remaining capital required at what date can such offer be cancelled and applied to the purpose for which it was originally intended, namely, the construction of a shorter line of railway to Belmullet, branching off the existing Mulranny and Achill branch of the Midland Great Western Railway system at a point mid- way between Mulranny and Achill; is he aware that this shorter line to Belmullet from the Achill branch was recommended by the right hon. Member for the Strand Division when acting as Chief Secretary for Ireland, its length being only twenty-two miles, with an estimate of£187,000, whereas the length of the line by the All-Red Route from Collooney to Belmullet would be seventy-five miles, with a cost of considerably over£500,000; and is he aware that this shorter line from the Achill branch is the only one likely to be worked in perpetuity by the Midland Great Western Railway Company, and that this railway company has all along opposed the Collooney-Belmullet line as being impracticable and as one that could never pay its working expenses?

One of the conditions of the proposed grant of £135,000 for the construction of the Collooney and Belmullet Railway, is that a guarantee should be obtained from an existing railway company of a sound financial position to work the line in perpetuity in the event of the promoters ceasing to work it themselves. If this guarantee be not obtained, the offer of a grant lapses, but no definite time has yet been fixed for the fulfilment of this condition. The offer of a similar grant towards the construction of a railway from Mulranny to Belmullet was definitely refused by the Midland Great Western Railway Company, and I have no reason to suppose that they have altered their minds. I cannot answer for the views of my predecessors.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, with reference to the Report on Belfast (1) circuit, printed in an appendix to the Seventy-fourth Report of the Commissioners of National Education and the details therein given as to teachers' difficulties and the expenses incurred by teachers in the upkeep of school-houses, whether similar facts as to teachers' difficulties and expenses similarly incurred in schools under Roman Catholic clerical management were furnished by any other senior inspector in the manuscript and in the proof of his report for the same year; if so, whether these facts were published in that appendix; if not, why they were not published; whether he is aware that the report on Omagh circuit as printed in that appendix is shorter than that on Belfast (1) circuit by about one-third of a page, and shorter than reports on circuits in the Seventy-third Report and the Sixty-ninth Report by about three and four pages respectively; and whether he will state on what pages of the Seventy-fourth Report of the Commissioners can be found the facts to which reference is made on page 62 of Section 1 of that report, to the effect that, in order to present a faithful picture of the schools, it had been his painful duty to state certain facts which could be hardly regarded as creditable to certain managers?

further asked the right hon. Gentleman: (1) Whether senior inspectors of national schools are allowed thirty-six week days for annual holidays; whether the secretaries to the Board of National Education are empowered to forbid inspectors to apply for annual holidays; whether they are empowered to deduct certificated sick leave from annual holidays; whether any senior inspector who had had two days of annual holidays since the 1st of January, applied in November, 1906, for four days more; whether one of the secretaries in reply informed him that he should not apply again for leave that year; and, if so, why this course was adopted?(2) Whether he is aware that Altinagh national school, 11,026, county Tyrone, is under Roman Catholic clerical management; that in 1907 the manager applied to the secretaries to the Board of National Education in reference to the promotion of the teacher; that in November of that year an inspector was directed to recommend the teacher for promotion to second grade; and that the Board had previously directed inspectors that their recommendations were to be goverened by a special regulation that a teacher in third grade should not be promoted to second grade unless the last three annual reports made upon his school by the inspectors be marked as at least good; whether the last three roports on this school had been respectively good, fair, good; whether the instructions to the inspector in this case were submitted, and, if so, to whom; and why this course was adopted?(3) Whether he is aware that in the spring of 1908 an inspector of national schools was instructed by a chief inspector to visit, at a cost of 28s. for travelling expenses, and report on a school which had not been recognised by the Board of National Education, and whether he afterwards received from him similar instructions; whether the inspector sought instructions from the secretaries; whether, without an opportunity for explanation, the inspector was reprimanded for this application as being insubordinate, unnecessary, and improper, and for having placed the prefix Mr. before the chief inspector's name in referring to him; whether he is aware that the inspector then explained that his previous experience of the chief inspector's action did not appear to justify him in assuming that his instructions would necessarily be approved by the Board, and in view of that experience and of the circumstances of the case he felt it to be his duty to seek from the secretaries a confirmation of these instructions; whether any opportunity was offered the inspector of explaining his reference; whether he was informed that his explanation had been accepted and noted; whether he was ordered to remove to a circuit in the division of the other chief inspector, 250 miles distant; and, if so, will he explain why this course was adopted?(4) Whether the secretaries to the Board of National Education are prepared to lay before the Board medical certificates from a regius professor of physic, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London, a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, and one other medical docter, certifying that in their opinion the health of a senior inspector of national schools was undermined, attacks of insomnia and depression caused and his premature retirement necessitated by official worries, and a statement of detailed reasons for believing that these worries were due to official action unauthorised by the Board?

As these five questions all refer to one man, I propose to deal with them together. The inspector in question resigned in June, 1909, after having been for six months on sick leave, and was awarded the pension to which he was entitled on retirement on medical certificate. The certificates which he submitted showed that he was entirely unfitted to carry on his duties owing to frequent attacks of gout, with insomnia and extreme mental depression, and that he was in addition highly neurasthenic. There was no medical certificate to the effect that his state of health was due to official worries. In 1906 he was on sick leave for over twelve weeks. He applied in November of that year for four days ordinary leave, which was granted, but he was told that he should not again apply for ordinary leave that year. Inspectors are, I understand, allowed, as a rule, six weeks annual holiday, but should an inspector be on sick leave for a considerable portion of a year the amount of his ordinary leave may be curtailed. His general report on the Omagh Circuit referred to by the hon. Member contained nominal and personal particulars which were omitted in printing the Report, as it was not considered desirable to publish them. In the case of Altinagh National School he was not instructed to recommend the teacher for promotion, but was directed to make a special report on the school, and on his report the promotion was refused. Early in 1908 he received a request for certain information from a chief inspector, but instead of complying with it, wrote to the National Education Office for instructions. He was told that he should comply at once, and that the tone of his letter was improper. He subsequently submitted an explanation and apology, which were accepted. His transfer to another district was made in the ordinary course.

asked (1) whether the secretaries to the Board of National Education are prepared to lay before the Board a tabulated statement in parallel columns of certain facts attested by documentary and other evidence, and of certain answers printed in the volumes entitled Debates, Questions, etc, on Irish Affairs for Sessions 1908 and 1909; and whether he is willing to receive a similar statement; (2) whether on 23rd November, 1907, an inspector of national schools reported to the head of his department that a chief inspector had, by the surprise and menace of certain questions, endeavoured to induce the inspector to divulge in the presence of two other persons the contents of a specially confidential reply to a specially confidential question from the Board of National Education; and, if so, whether any action was taken in consequence?

I am unable to reply to these two questions without a more definite indication of the particular matters to which they are intended to refer.

asked the Chief Secretary what amount of cash will be available in the present year for sales of land in Ireland under the Irish Land Act, 1909; have any agreements for sale under the Act been lodged; and, if so, what is the amount of purchase money applied for under the said Act down to 1st April, 1910?

No cash will be required for voluntary sales which may be carried out under the Act of 1909, seeing that the vendors are to be paid in stock. Agreements for sales by landlords to tenants, representing a purchase money of £208,603, have been lodged under the Act.

asked the Chief Secretary, as regards future sales of land under the Irish Land Act of 1909, what amount of cash will this year be at the disposal of the Congested Districts Board for paying the purchase money of estates voluntarily sold to them if any, and estates they may compulsorily acquire; does he anticipate that any greater sum will be available in 1911 for these purposes; will it be open to the Congested Districts Board, after taking proceedings for sale by compulsion, to abandon them if the price is fixed on appeal at a figure higher than they like, as happens under the Evicted Tenants Act; and, in such event, will the landowner proposed to be expropriated be left to bear his own cost of the successful appeal as to value?

Voluntary sales under the Irish Land Act, 1909, will be financed by paying of the owners in stock, not cash. I am not in a position to make any definite statement as to the amount of cash which will be at the disposal of the Congested Districts Board this year or next, but it is estimated that for the current year a sum of£500,000 will be available to the Board for the completion of pending purchases under the Irish Land Act (1903) and for compulsory purchases under the Act of 1909. I cannot advise the hon. and learned Member as to the points raised in the concluding portion of the question.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that unfriendly relations have for some time past existed between the Protestant inhabitants of Brookeborough and Maguiresbridge districts of county Fermanagh and two police officers; and whether be will suggest to the Inspector-General that the district inspector should be promoted to some district in the South or West of Ireland where his abilities would be more appreciated, and that the sergeant, against whom a decree for assault on a respectable Protestant farmer was recently granted by the County Court Judge and confirmed by Lord Chief Baron Palles, might also be promoted out of county Fermanagh?

I am not aware that the police officers in question are disliked by any of the inhabitants of their districts, nor, if they were, would that in itself be a sufficient reason for transferring them to other districts. The hon. and learned Member is no doubt aware that the Lord Chief Baron held that the assault referred to in the last paragraph of the question was a technical one.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland what was the amount invested under the provisions of the Housing of the Working Classes (Ireland) Act, 1908, for the benefit of the housing fund established by that Act; what was the amount of the income derived from that investment for the year 1909–10; and what was the amount paid, or to be paid, to each local authority out of such income for that year?

The amount invested is£163,499 8s., and the income for the year 1909–10 was £6,780 11s. 3d. This includes the income for the period from the passing of the Act to 31st March, 1909, in accordance with the provision contained in Section 5 (4) of the Statute. No payment has yet been made, but the total amount payable under Section 5 (2) to local authorities who had incurred liabilities as at the beginning of the local financial year ended on 31st March last is £359 15s. 6d., the details being as follows:—Coleraine, £2 13s. 9d.;Dalkey, £48 4s. 1d.; Enniscorthy,£33 5s. 6d.; Galway,£9 18s. 11d.; Kingstown,£265 13s. 3d.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the obstacles which prevented the arbitrator appointed by the Local Government Board of Ireland, under the Labourers Act, from making his award in due time on the Thurles Rural District Council's opposed Order; and whether he is aware that his failure to make his award has prevented the rural district council from letting the cottage plot to the appointed labourers in time to prepare them for this season's-crop?

I understand that the arbitrator's award was lodged on 25th February last, in ample time to admit of the plots being handed over to the labourers for tilling for this season's crop. The arbitrator held his inquiry on 30th November last, and the Local Government Board understand that he would have been able to complete his award much earlier but for difficulties which arose in connection with certain sites and involved considerable correspondence between the arbitrator and officials of the local authority. The Rural District Council, by proceeding under Section 4 of the Labourers Act of 1896, could have taken up possession of the plots immediately the Order sanctioning their scheme was confirmed, on compliance with the provisions of the Section, and need not have waited for the arbitrator's award.

asked whether the attention of the Fishery Department of the Agriculture and Technical Instruction Board for Ireland has been called to the injury done to the interests of the net and line fishermen of Bantry Bay by the steam trawler "Evelyn"; whether a memorial has been presented to the Board with a view to have steam trawling abolished in Bantry Bay; and whether it is proposed to take any action in connection with this memorial?

The memorial in question has been received, and the Department have arranged to hold an inquiry into the matter as soon as the other engagements of the inspectors of fisheries permit.

asked whether the Local Government Board have had brought under their notice the grievance of John Mahony, Tweedmount, Blarney, tenant of a labourer's cottage in Cork rural district, who alleges that his plot is one rood and six perches short of the statutory allotment, and that this quantity of land was fenced in with the plot of a neighbouring labourer, and has been enjoyed by him for seven years, whilst Mahony is compelled to pay rent for it; have the circumstances been investigated and reported on by special committees of the district council, and did two engineers report as to the facts above stated; and, if there be any land wrongfully taken from this man, will the Local Government Board see that it is restored to him?

The Local Government Board have been unable to trace any re- ference to this matter in any documents in their office. The matter in question is one entirely for the rural district council, who, moreover, are not bound to give the maximum garden allotment to each cottage provided by them under the Labourers Acts.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Land Commission has received an application asking that a sitting of the Sub-Commission may be fixed for an early day in Falcarragh, for the purpose of hearing applications for fixing fair rents under the Act of 1909, which have been served by future tenants upon the estate of Sir John Olphert; and whether, with a view to accelerating the ultimate sale of the estate, the Land Commission can arrange for a sitting in Falcarragh before the end of the month?

The Land Commission inform me that on 21st March last, nine applications from the Falcarragh district to have fair rents fixed were listed for hearing, notice being sent to all parties concerned. These cases will be taken up to-morrow by the Sub-Commission Court. Thirty further applications have since been received from the same district, and it is proposed to hold a court at the end of this month, or early in May, to dispose of them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in the interests of the public health, he would consider the question of embodying in the new Budget a graduated scale of duties on spirits according to age, the minimum rate of duty to be assessed on spirits of a certified age of eight years and over, the maximum rate of duty to be assessed on spirits two years old and under?

I beg to refer the hon. Member to the statement which I made on this subject in Committee on the Finance Bill on 23rd September last.

asked what sums have been paid from local taxation (Customs and Excise) to the credit of each of the Welsh county councils for the financial year ended 31st March, 1910, and what the final instalments are estimated to amount to?

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply to this question. The sums distributable to the Welsh county councils up to 31st March last in respect of the year 1909–10 are as follows:—Anglesey,£468; Brecon,£947; Cardigan,£811, Carmarthen,£l,679; Carnarvon,£1,542; Denbigh,£2,012; Flint,£1,441; Glamorgan,£4,623, Merioneth,£703, Montgomery,£l,396; Pembroke,£1,063, and Radnor,£494. No estimate can be given at present as to the amounts of the final balances which

asked what sums were paid from local taxation (Customs and Excise) to the credit of each of the Welsh county councils in each financial year up to 31st March, 1909?

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply to this question. The statement below gives the information asked for:—

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the estimated number of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men who are entitled to pensions, retired pay, half-pay, and gratuities during the year 1910–11; and the amount allocated in the Estimates?

The average number of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men who, it is estimated, will be entitled to pensions, retired pay, half-pay, and gratuities from naval funds during 1910–11 is 45,963; the gross amount allocated in the Estimates is£2,223,825.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can state how many days each one of the three dry docks at Gibraltar had been used for His Majesty's ships in each one of the years since each dock was first ready for use up to the end of the year, 1909?

The number of days is as follows:—

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether anyone, and, if so, who, has been appointed

An officer has been selected, and an announcement on the subject will be made shortly.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the Census (Great Britain) Bill, 1900, received the Royal Assent on 27th March of that year and the Census (Ireland) Bill on 9th April, and that the Minister in charge of the Census (Great Britain) Bill pleaded both on the Second and Third Readings for the expeditious passage of the measure in view of the time required to make proper arrangements for the Census; and whether, assuming that similar considerations apply to the Census Bills of the present year, it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to proceed with them at an early date?

I am aware of the facts stated in the question. The Bills will be proceeded with at the earliest date practicable.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the following particulars with regard to the imports of sugar for each year from 1897 to 1901 inclusive: total quantity imported, including raw and refined, estimated total annual cost, and estimated consumption per head of the population?

The following statement gives the information:—

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state when the Returns of Experiments on Living Animals in 1909 will be issued; and whether he will expedite the issue of these Returns?

The Return will, I trust, be issued in June, as usual. I am sorry that I do not see my way to expedite the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General why 2s. is charged for 1s. 11½d. worth of stamps, especially having regard to the fact that the book in which the stamps are sold contains advertisements which are presumably paid for by the advertisers?

The cost of printing the books of stamps is considerable; and, if the books were sold at the face value of the stamps, a loss would result, the revenue derived from advertisements being insufficient to cover the cost of printing.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the grounds upon which he has reduced the established storekeepers in the engineer-in-chief's department from three to one in London and from thirteen to nine in the provinces?

The system of distributing Post Office engineering stores is in course of reorganisation. The depots of the superintending engineers are being broken up, and in each district several small working stocks will take their place. With these working stocks, which will be in charge of linemen, no bookkeeping will be necessary. The efficiency of the service will, I hope, be considerably increased by the change of system. The class of storekepers will be abolished as a consequence of the reorganisation; and the course to be taken with regard to the storekeepers rendered redundant will be considered in each case.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the reasons for increasing the established clerical staff in the stores department whilst reducing the established manipulative staff in the same department?

Such changes as may have taken place since the Select Committee recommended reorganisation of the stores department have been in the direction of assigning clerical duties to the clerical and manipulative duties to the manipulative staff. Possibly it is to these the hon. Member refers, but I shall be glad if he will supply me with further information of the changes he has in mind.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state what class of work the male cleaners in the General Post Office are called upon to perform at piecework prices?

The male cleaners perform various kinds of cleaning work in the General Post Office buildings at piecework rates—such as sweeping and scrubbing floors, stairs, etc., shaking mats, dusting, cleaning brass taps, etc., refilling coal scuttles, and so forth.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the practice of the Essex County Council in letting land and buildings to applicants under the Small Holdings Act upon rents fixed to include not only the annual value, but also contributions to a sinking fund for redemption of purchase; whether these lettings have been on the conditions that the lands and buildings so paid for by the tenants are to remain the property of the county council; and whether the Government propose to introduce legislation to facilitate county councils in conveying to small holders the freehold ownership of the holdings for which they pay the purchase price in their agreed rents?

The reply to the two former questions is in the affirmative. The Small Holdings and Allotments Act of 1908 provides facilities for the purchase of small holdings by persons who desire to buy and will themselves cultivate them, and for the advance of money by county councils for the purpose. The Government do not at present contemplate further legislation on the subject.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agri- culture whether, in view of the fact that the boundaries between Uruguay and the Argentine Republic are easily traversable, he will require a guarantee from the Government of the former country as to its freedom from foot-and-mouth disease before removing the embargo on cattle from the latter?

The answer is in the negative, but in coming to a decision as to whether or not the circumstances are such as to afford reasonable security against the importation from Argentina of animals affected with foot-and-mouth disease the Board are required by law to take into account the laws made by the Argentine Government for the regulation of the importation of animals and for the prevention of the introduction of disease and the administration of such laws.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether a scale of costs, in accordance with paragraph (6) of Part I. of the First Schedule of The Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1908, has yet been issued; if not, when it is intended to issue such a scale; and when and where it will be obtainable?

Rules containing scales of costs in pursuance of the enactment to which the hon. and gallant Member refers have been issued and placed on sale. I shall be pleased to supply him with a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the sound-locating system invented by Mr. C. E. Kelway, by means of which it is stated that vessels at sea can maintain communication with coast stations even during a thick fog; and whether he would hold an official inquiry into the practicability, cost, etc., of this system, in view of the need for the protection of shipping off our coasts during foggy weather?

My attention has been called to the system, but I cannot undertake to hold official inquiries into the merits of particular inventions. It must rest with Mr. Kelway to convince shipowners and the general lighthouse authorities as to its practicability. As my hon. Friend, however, is aware, I have already caused Mr. Kelway to be informed through him that my advisers at the Board of Trade are quite ready to see him if he so desires, and to give him any information at their disposal.