asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Local Government Board for Ireland will instruct the pension officers to accept as evidence of age the written statements of persons older than an applicant in cases where the applicant's age cannot be found either in the baptismal or marriage records, or in the Census records of 1841 or 1851, as several applicants of this class will be for ever deprived of the pension under the regulations now in force?

:I see no necessity for the issue of any further instructions to pension officers in this matter. In the case of a claimant who can produce no certificate of birth, baptism, or marriage, to establish attainment of statutory age, and who cannot be traced in the Census Records of 1841 or 1851, the existing instructions allow the pension officer to refrain from an appeal if he is himself satisfied that the claimant has in fact attained the age of seventy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total strength of the Metropolitan Police Force; what number are kept as a reserve in case of sickness or other emergencies; have constables a right to refuse duty outside the Metropolitan area, and are they in any way consulted as to their willingness to take duty or refuse duty in districts outside London; and, if so, were the officers selected for duty at Hull given the option of refusing to take up that duty before being ordered away?

The total strength at present of the Metropolitan police is 19,898. There is a reserve of about 20 per cent. to enable vacancies due to sickness or absence on leave to be filled. As a rule requisitions for aid have to be complied with at such short notice that it is not possible to invite volunteers for the particular service, but any man objecting to serve outside the district would not ordinarily be compelled to go, though it is a condition of his engagement, to which he is a contracting party, that the constable shall serve and reside wherever he may be appointed. The officers sent to Hull were not consulted, but I have every reason to believe they all went on this duty gladly.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state whether there is a mail despatch from Monaghan by a train leaving at 3 p.m., and what districts it serves; will he state whether letters addressed to Dublin, posted to catch this mail, are delivered in Dublin that night; if not, will he state since what date has the Dublin evening delivery of Monaghan letters been discontinued; and will he state the reasons therefor?

I have called for a report on the subject, and will communicate the result to the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can state the number of towns to which the continuous system of Wheatstone working from the Central Telegraph Office is in operation; the number of wires which were in use daily to each of those towns for commercial purposes under the previous system of working and the number now in daily use; whether delay to telegrams has decreased or increased as a result of the change of system; and what use is being made of the redundant wires?

The continuous Wheatstone system is in operation between the Central Telegraph Office and eight towns. The system is at present in the experimental stage, and I am considering whether or not it should be made permanent. There were forty wires formerly in use as compared with about half that number now. Delay has generally decreased. The wires thrown spare are held in reserve, but some are being used for press work and for making good faulty wires.