Written Answers
Labour Exchanges (Central Office Staff)
asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether he will furnish the House with a list of the staff of the Central Office of the Labour Exchanges Department, distinguishing between those who entered the service of the Board by means of open competitive examinations under the auspices of the Civil Service Commissioners and those who were appointed by the President under the Labour Exchanges Act; whether he will show the relative positions of these two classes of public servants in regard to salaries and seniority; and whether there is anything in the nature of the duties performed by those who were appointed by the President
| Name. | Rank. | Present Scale of Salary. | Date of Appointment to Labour Exchanges. | Date of First Permanent Civil Service Appointment. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| W. H. Beveridge | Director | 700 | 25 | 900 | 24–9–09 | 24–9–09 |
| C.F. Rey | General manager | 600 | 20 | 800 | 24–9–09 | 30–12–03 |
| S.W. Scott | Asst. general manager | 450 | 15 | 600 | 17–11–09 | 27–9–10 |
| Capt. W. E. Long | Staff divisonal officer | 400 | 15 | 600 | 13–10–09 | … |
| R. Bell | Staff divisonal officer | 400 | 15 | 600 | 10–1–10 | … |
| Col. A. M. Murray, C. B. | Staff divisonal officer | 400 | 15 | 600 | 17–1–10 | … |
| *S. G. Tallents | Staff divisonal officer | 400 | 15 | 600 | 20–1–11 | 2–4–09 |
| Miss L. Clapham | Organising officer for women's emyloyment. | 300 | 10 | 400 | 14–2–10 | … |
| S. E. Court | Staff clerk | 300 | 10 | 400 | 9–2–10 | … |
| †J. Moxley | Staff officer | 250 | 10 | 350 | 15–11–09 | 16–8–91 |
| F. L. Miller | " | 250 | 10 | 350 | 25–4–10 | … |
| B.L. Ward | Class A manager | 250 | 10 | 350 | 26–1–10 | … |
| H. G. Sadler | Class C manager | 150 | 5 | 200 | 24–11–10 | … |
| R. E. Gomme | Assistant manager | 100 | 5 | 200 | 29–8–10 | … |
| J. S. Hopwood | " | 100 | 5 | 150 | 10–1–10 | … |
| O. G. Stewart | " | 100 | 5 | 150 | 4–4–10 | … |
| Miss Sanday | Woman supervising officer. | 130 | 7–10 | 200 | 28–2–10 | … |
| *A. R. Turtill | 2nd Division clerk | 70 | 7–10 | 130 | 1–10–09 | 16–12–00 |
| then | ||||||
| 130 | 10 | 300 | ||||
| *A. H. Wilkins | 2nd Division clerk | 70 | 7–10 | 130 | 2–4–10 | 19–2–02 |
| then | ||||||
| 130 | 10 | 300 | ||||
| *H. Innocent | 2nd Division clerk | 10 | 19–4–10 | 10–9–97 | ||
| *C. Ibbett | 2nd Division clerk | 10 | 28–9–09 | 21–10–07 | ||
| *E. H. Emerson | 2nd Division clerk | 10 | 19–1–11 | 27–8–07 | ||
| *L. J. Bate | 2nd Division clerk | 10 | 30–1–11 | 1–4–08 | ||
| *E. H. Anderton | 2nd Division clerk | 10 | 30–1–11 | 18–5–08 | ||
| *A. E. Kingham | 2nd Division clerk | 10 | 2–2–11 | 17–2–08 | ||
| *C.W. Hough | 2nd Division clerk | 10 | 20–2–11 | 6–4–08 | ||
| *F. R. Langford | 2nd Division clerk | 10 | 6–3–11 | 22–5–08 | ||
| *B. H. Rogers | 2nd Division clerk | 10 | 28–3–11 | 9–10–05 | ||
| †J. Curtin | Abstractor | 55 | 5 | 85 | 19–4–10 | 16–10–07 |
| 7–10 | 85 150 | |||||
| †C. H. Hughes | Abstractor | 7–10 | 5–1–10 | 14–5–07 | ||
| †P. Higgs | Abstractor | 45 | 5 | 85 | 23–1–11 | 23–1–11 |
| 5 7–10 | 85 150 | |||||
| †J. R. Eads | Abstractor | 5 7–10 | 1–2–11 | 1–2–11 | ||
| †J. A. Rogan | Abstractor | 55 | 5 | 85 | 2–2–11 | 2–2–11 |
| 5 7–10 | 85 160 | |||||
| H. L. Gibson | Typist | 104 | 5–10–09 | … | ||
| I. A. Cromack | Typist | 104 | 23–5–10 | … | ||
| R. Andre | Typist | 78 | 2–11–09 | … | ||
| D. L P. Jones | Typist | 78 | 23–5–10 | … | ||
| L. Rudolf | Typist | 78 | 30–1–11 | … | ||
| J. Groom | Typist | 78 | 23–2–11 | … | ||
| J. S. Smith | Typist | 78 | 30–1–11 | … | ||
| * Shows those who entered the service of the Board after an open competitive examination under the auspices of the Civil Service Commissioners. | ||||||
| † Shows those who entered the service of the Board after a limited competitive examination under the auspices of the Civil Service Commissioners. | ||||||
which renders the work unsuitable for Civil servants appointed through the medium of the Civil Service Commissioners?
supplied the following particulars relating to the staff of the Central Office of the Labour Exchanges (exclusive of temporary assistants and clerk messengers):—
Illegal Trawling (Foreign Vessels)
asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will give the numbers of foreign trawlers that have been reported to the Customs authorities by the Scottish and Irish Fishery Boards, respectively, for fishing within the prohibited areas since the coming into force of the 1909 Act, for the prevention of the same, with details showing the names of the vessels, their nationality, dates, and localities when reported.
The following are the figures giving, as regards each nationality, the number of foreign trawlers which were reported, and the aggregate number of times that they were reported, since the Trawling in Prohibited Areas Act, 1909, came into operation on 20th October, 1909:—
| Nationality of vessels. | Number of vessels. | Number of times reported. |
| Scotland—Moray Firth. | ||
| Belgian | 9 | 32 |
| Danish | 9 | 60 |
| Dutch | 8 | 16 |
| German | 11 | 23 |
| Norwegian | 9 | 172 |
| Firth of Clyde. | ||
| Belgian | 6 | 15 |
| Dutch | 4 | 6 |
| Ireland. | ||
| Belgian | 4 | 6 |
| Danish | 1 | 1 |
Old Age Pensions
asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can state the grounds upon which the Local Government Board refused to sanction an old age pension to Mrs. Mary M'Bride, Derra-brick, county Fermanagh; whether he is aware that Mr. Barton Grahame, Banagh, who is ninety-four years of age, certified that he knew her for over seventy years, and that Mr. John Chittick, Banagh, who is over eighty years of age, certified that to his personal knowledge Mrs. M'Bride was over seventy years; and whether he can state the grounds upon which the Local Government Board acted upon the opinion of their officer, who is not more than twenty-five years, in preference to the testimony of Messrs. Barton Grahame and Chittick, who have known Mrs. M'Bride for over seventy and eighty years?
The Local Government Board upheld the appeal of the pension officer on the ground that the evidence submitted was not sufficient to prove that Mrs. M'Bride had reached the statutory age. The Board are not now in possession of the original documents, but they have no record to show that the persons mentioned furnished any evidence in support of their assertions that they had known the claimant for over seventy years. The hon. Member is under a misapprehension in thinking that any officer of the Board visited the claimant, and expressed an opinion as to her age which was adopted by them.
Labourers' Cottages (Ireland)
asked whether the areas of plots attached to labourers' cottages in the Fermoy Rural District were in any instances found to be inadequate after fencing of the plots had actually taken place; if so, who was responsible for this; and what steps were taken to remedy it?
The Local Government Board have received no complaint on this subject, but they observe from the minutes of proceedings of the Fermoy Rural District Council that a complaint has been made to the council in one instance and that an independent surveyor has found that the plot was five perches short of the authorised area. The council are apparently investigating the matter, but the Board are not aware whether the council have yet fixed responsibility for the mistake, or what steps they propose to take in the matter.
asked whether the Local Government Board have received any complaints from Ballycastle, in the Killala Rural District, county Mayo, as to the manner in which labourers applying for cottages and allotments have been treated by the council: whether sites were fixed, in most cases, in the worst corners of the land and cottages built on the double plan, against the wishes of the applicants; were numbers of the cottages first built let to naval pensioners, returned Americans, and others possessing considerable means, whilst deserving labourers were passed over; is the rent charged 1s. 9d. per week, and have the Local Government Board given their sanction to this; and, in all, how many cottages have been erected in the Killala Rural District prior to the Labourers Act of 1906, and how many have been sanctioned and erected since?
Complaints have been received by the Local Government Board as to the delay by the Killala Rural District Council in building authorised cottages. As compensation at an average rate of about £38 an acre was awarded by the arbitrator for the lands authorised to be acquired it would not appear that such lands are inferior. The Board have received one complaint regarding the erection of cottages in pairs, but this is a matter within the discretion of the council, who appear to be acting quite properly in building cottages in blocks, where feasible, with a view to economy. The Board have no information that the cottages have been let as alleged. The council's letting regulations, which are not yet confirmed by the Board, provide for a rent of 1s. 6d. a week being charged for cottages with half-acre plots, and 1s. 9d a week for those with acre plots, and the Board consider they are reasonable, and have expressed their willingness to confirm the regulations when submitted to them after the requisite preliminaries. No cottage was erected in the rural district prior to 1906, and the Board are not in a position to state the number actually completed at the present date out of the forty-one cottages authorised under the Labourers Act of 1906.
National Schools, Ireland (Religious Emblems)
asked whether His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland had received a copy of the Report of the Committee on Elementary Education of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland, which relates to the Roman Catholic emblems in national schools, together with the appended resolutions, adopted by the General Assembly in June 1910, showing that, in regard to the use of denominational emblems in national schools the Commissioners of National Education stated that they have on various occasions during the past thirty years sanctioned the exhibition of pictures of scriptural subjects provided they are not denominational, and that the Chief Secretary for Ireland stated on the 28th April, 1910, when asked if the Sacred Heart was among the pictures sanctioned, repeated the answer of the Commissioners with the omission of the words provided they are not denominational; can he explain why the Commissioners, in sending their answer, made a statement in direct conflict with the facts; why, in sanctioning such a picture as the Sacred Heart, they have violated their own rule that no emblems of a denominational character can be exhibited in the school room during the hours of united instruction; whether, as the Commissioners state that they do not change any fundamental rule without the express permission of the Lord Lieutenant, he will say if any communications have been made to them by His Excellency in regard to their conduct; and what steps have been taken for the removal of the Roman Catholic emblems which were sanctioned by the Commissioners in contravention of their own rules, and for preventing them from violating their rules in the future?
His Excellency has received a copy of the Report of the Committee. I have already explained the action of the Commissioners of National Education in the matter in my replies to the questions asked by the hon. Member for North Derry on 28th April, 1910. The Commissioners deny that they have made any statement on the subject which is in conflict with the facts, or that they have violated any of their fundamental rules.
Voluntary Schools
asked the President of the Board of Education whether he can state the number, denominations, and other particulars of voluntary schools in England and Wales closed since the publication of the last Return?
The number of voluntary schools closed since 18th March, 1910, on which date I answered a similar question of the hon. Member, is as follows:—
| Denomination. | Total. | |||
| Church of England. | Wesleyan. | Roman Catholic. | Others. | |
| 80 | 9 | 1 | 13 | 103 |
School Attendance (Foreign Countries)
asked the President of the Board of Education if he can state what the compulsory age for school attendance is in France, Germany, Austria, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa?
As regards the age at which school attendance begins to be compulsory in some of the countries mentioned in the question, I must refer the Noble Lord to the White Paper issued by the Board of Education in 1906 (Cd. 2968); while with regard to the age at which com- pulsory education ceases in the countries mentioned (with the exception of South Africa), I must refer to the White Paper issued by the Board of Education in 1908 (Cd. 4132). The annexed statement for the compilation of which I have had to rely on such documents as are available in the Library of the Board must be regarded as containing in some cases later information than was contained in the statements
| Country. | Age at which attendance at the elementary school becomes compulsory. | Age at which compulsory attendance at the elementary school ceases. |
| France | On the completion of the sixth year. | On the completion of the thirteenth year. Children who obtain the Certificat d'Etudes may be exempted from further attendance. This Certificat can be obtained at the age of eleven. |
| German Empire, Baden. | On the completion of the sixth year. The school year begins at Easter. If a child attains the age of six between Easter and the 30th June in any year it becomes liable to school attendance at the opening of the school session in that year. | The child leaves school at Easter in the year in which it attains its fourteenth birthday provided that birthday falls before June 30th. |
| Bavaria | On the completion of the sixth year. | On the completion of the thirteenth year. |
| Prussia | There is no general school law which applies to all the provinces of this Kingdom. In some parts of the Kingdom the obligation to attend school begins on the completion of the child's fifth year; in the rest of the country one year later but as a matter of general practice, children are not compelled to attend school before they have completed their sixth year. | On the completion of the fourteenth year. |
| Saxe-Weimar | On the completion of the sixth year. | On the completion of the fourteenth year. Children may be retained until the completion of the fifteenth year if their progress is unsatisfactory. |
| Saxony | The obligation is to attend the elementary school for a period of eight years, which, as a rule, begins on the completion of the child's sixth year. | On the completion of the fourteenth year. |
| Wurtemberg | On the completion of the seventh year. | The end of April in the year in which the child attains its fourteenth birthday. Children may be retained at school an additional year, if their progress is unsatisfactory. |
| Austria-Hungary Austria. | The beginning of the school year after the child has attained its sixth birthday. | On the completion of the fourteenth year. Children receive leaving certificates on leaving school, and if they cannot obtain their certificates, they must remain at school beyond the compulsory limit. |
| Hungary | Six years of age | Twelve years of age |
| Holland | Seven years of age | Twelve years of age. Children who do not succeed in reaching a prescribed standard may be retained at school till the age of thirteen. |
above referred to. In the case of those countries, provinces, or States in which the conditions have remained, so far as the Board are aware, unchanged since 1908, the information contained in the White Paper issued in that year supplements the information now given, since that statement also gives some account of the systems of compulsory continuation schools, where such systems exist:—
| Country. | Age at which attendance at the elementary school becomes compulsory. | Age at which compulsory attendance at the elementary school ceases. |
| Italy | Six years of age | Twelve years of age; except in the case of communes, which make provision only for the the lower elementary course, in which case children are exempt at the age of nine. |
| Portugal | Six years of age | Twelve years of age. Pupils who obtain the Certificat d'Etudes du I. Degré, may be exempted before reaching the age of twelve. |
| Canada— | ||
| Alberta | Seven years of age | Fourteen years of age. Children who have passed the Public School Leaving Examination, may obtain exemption at an earlier age. |
| British Columbia. | Seven years of age | Fourteen years of age. |
| Manitoba | No statutory compulsion | —— |
| New Brunswick | There is a Compulsory Attendance Act, which it is optional for the School Trustees of a district to make operative in that district. This Act requires children to attend school between the ages of seven and twelve years inclusive in rural districts, and between the ages of six and sixteen inclusive in cities and towns. Exemption may be granted to children over twelve if necessity compels them to work. | |
| Nova Scotia | Compulsory attendance loft to local option. There are two Acts under which compulsory attendance may be enforced (1) The Education Act of 1900 and (2) The Town's Compulsory Attendance Act of 1900. The latter which requires attendance between the ages of six and sixteen but admits of exemption in the case of children over twelve who have passed a specified examination, can be adopted in incorporated towns only. A rural area which desires compulsion can enforce it by adopting the compulsory clause of the Education Act 1900 which requires attendance between the ages of seven and twelve. | |
| Ontario | Eight years of age | Fourteen years of age. Children who have passed the entrance examination for high schools may obtain exemption before the age of fourteen. |
| Prince Edward Island. | Eight years of age | Thirteen years of age. |
| Quebec | No statutory compulsion. | —— |
| Saskatchewan | Seven years of age | Twelve years of age. |
| Australia— | ||
| New South Wales | Six years of age | Fourteen years of age. Exemption may be obtained at an earlier age it the child holds a certificate of having reached a prescribed standard, i.e., reading, writing and arithmetic up to the standard of the Fourth Class of the primary school. |
| Queensland | Six years of age | Twelve years of age. Exemption may be obtained at an earlier age if the child holds a certificate of having reached a prescribed standard, i.e., a competent knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic to the satisfaction of an inspector of schools. |
| Sth. Australia | Seven years of age | Thirteen years of age. Exemption may be obtained at an earlier age if the child has been educated up to the compulsory standard, i.e., reading, writing and arithmetic, as specified for the fourth class of the primary school. |
| Tasmania | Seven years of age | Thirteen years of age. Children who have been educated up to the compulsory standard, i.e., proficiency in reading, writing and arithmetic to the satisfaction of an inspector of schools, may obtain exemption at the age of eleven. |
| Victoria | Six years of age | Fourteen years of age. Children who have obtained a merit certificate, may obtain exemption at the age of twelve. |
| Wstn Australia | Six years of age | Fourteen years of age. |
| Country. | Age at which attendance at the elementary school becomes compulsory | Age at which compulsory attendance at the elementary school ceases. |
| Australia—cont. | ||
| New Zealand | Seven years of age | Twelve years of age. Children who hold certificates of having completed the fifth standard, may obtain exemption at an earlier age. |
| South Africa— | ||
| Cape of Good Hope Province | Any school board may pass a resolution to make attendance at school compulsory on all children of European parentage who have completed their seventh but not their fourteenth year. | |
| †Natal Province | Seven years of age | Fourteen years of age. Children who have completed the fifth standard of primary schools and are in regular employment, may be exempted at an earlier age. |
| †Orange Free State Prov'ce | Seven years of age | Sixteen years of age. Children who are in regular employment and have completed the course of the fourth standard of primary schools, may be exempted at an earlier age. |
| †Transvaal Province. | Seven years of age | Fourteen years of age. Children who have completed the course of the fourth standard of primary schools and are in regular employment, may be exempted at an earlier age. |
| †Applicable only to white children. | ||
Victoria And Albert Museum
asked the President of the Board of Education if in future the national competition works of art will be exhibited in the main building of the Victoria and Albert Museum instead of, as in the past, in iron sheds not adapted for the purpose?
I am not yet able to say what arrangements it will be possible to make for the exhibition of the national competition works of art, but the whole question is receiving very careful consideration.
Military Officers' Sashes (Order Cancelled)
asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether it is now intended to cancel the regulation referring to the new sash for Infantry officers ; and, if so, whether it has been decided to reimburse officers who have already purchased the sash?
The order concerning the sash has been cancelled. As regards the last part of the question, I am not at present in a position to make any statement.
Officers' Messes
asked the Under-Secretary of State for War, if he will state what rate per cent. per annum is obtained from capital outlay on furniture supplied to officers' messes, or taken from officers' messes at a valuation?
The rate is about 2 per cent. per annum on the total capital outlay.
Indian Currency
asked the Under-Secretary of State for India, if he will explain why, with a smaller population, less abundant crops, and far lower prices, as shown by the index numbers of the Government of India, over twenty-six crores of rupees were coined in 1906–7 and presumably absorbed, for, if not absorbed, why was the Indian currency thus inflated, whereas in the past year of abounding exports and unprecedented prices, especially for opium, no new legal tender silver has passed those mints.
It is obvious that the fact that additional coinage was needed in 1906–7 and not in 1910–11 was due generally speaking to the difference between the commercial and financial conditions prevailing in the two years. Further possible explanations are: (1) a difference between the amounts of currency in circulation at the beginning of the two years respectively, which would affect the need for replenishment; and (2) changes in the habits of the people with regard to the use of the three most important forms of currency in India, namely, notes, silver coins, and gold coins. It would not be suitable in an answer to a question to attempt the delicate and difficult task of estimating the extent to which each of these causes was, or may have been, at work.
asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to the Annual Report of the United States Secretary of the Treasury, which Report for 1908 estimates the world's production of silver for the year 1906–7 (page 131) at 165,054,497 ounces, as also the estimated consumption that year in the arts (page 37) 91,835,000, which shows the balance available for all the world's currencies (73,219,497 ounces) to be considerably less than the amount of silver coined by the Government of India during that year (£11,628,844); did the Government of India in 1906–7 purchase more than all the available production of the world's mines, while in 1910–11 that Government bought none; and, if so, will he consider the advisability of devising some system of purchase by the Indian Government less calculated to convulse our exchanges and embarrass our export trades with China; and will he explain how the value of purchased silver, 1906–7, was £11,628,844, seeing that in the official reply to the hon. Member for Hythe, 22nd July, 1907, it was stated that, excluding the recoinage of old rupees, £15,180,000 was coined that financial year?
The attention of the Secretary of State has not been called officially to the Estimates by the Secretary of the United States Treasury mentioned by the hon. Member; nor has he any reason to believe that the purchases of silver required for coinage in India are calculated to convulse our exchanges and embarrass our export trades with China. The difference between the value of silver bullion purchased for coinage and the value of rupees issued from the Mints in 1906–7 is due to the well-known fact that the rupee is worth more than the silver that it contains.
Coronation
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is proposed that Friday, 23rd June, should be a general holiday?
As stated in the Proclamation, Friday, 23rd June, will be a Bank Holiday within the Administrative County of London.
"Passive Resisters" (Conviction At Market Harbrough)
asked the Home Secretary if his attention has been directed to the sentence of fourteen days' imprisonment by the justices of Market Harbroough upon the Rev. W. H. Hadon, for refusing to pay such portion of the education rate as he supposed was devoted to the teaching of creeds; and if he can see his way to reduce the sentence?
My attention has not previously been called to the case. The prisoner would be committed as a debtor; and I have, therefore, no power to reduce the sentence. But I have given instructions that what are known as "Passive Resisters" should be allowed the same mitigations of prison discipline as are permitted, under the rule made last Session, to prisoners convicted of offences not involving dishonesty, cruelty, indecency, or serious violence.