asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the United States has joined the International Council for the Exploration of the North and neighbouring seas?

I have been informed that the United States Government contemplate adhering to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. I do not understand, however, that they have yet done so.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether it is intended or expected that any grants of money should be made by the Development Fund Commissioners for purposes other than the development of national resources; and whether, for example, the funds granted to the International Council for the Exploration of the North and neighbouring seas will be supplemented by grants from the Development Fund?

In the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act, 1909, the purpose of the Development Fund is stated to be "the economic development of the United Kingdom." No advances could be made from it for any purpose which would not reasonably fall within, those terms.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state upon what grounds the pension officer at Templemore, county Tipperary, calculated that the means of James Guilfoyle, Lisheen, Templemore, county Tipperary, exceeded the statutory limit, in view of the fact that Guilfoyle assigned to his son, by deed, his interest in his farm in December, 1909, reserving for himself an annuity of £12 per annum?

I am making inquiries into this case, and will communicate further with the hon. Member as soon as they are complete.

asked upon what grounds the Local Government Board refused on appeal by the pension officer the claim of Mrs. Mary Ryan, Graystown, Killenaule, Thurles, county Tipperary, to an old age pension?

In September last the Local Government Board upheld an appeal by the pension officer on the ground that Mrs. Ryan's means exceeded the statutory limit.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will state why the Local Government Board have refused to allow an old age pension to be paid to John Dolan, Cappenaghmore, county Cavan; is he aware that the entire worldly belongings of this man are two cows, value £10, two calves value £3, grass for said cows value £3 per annum, one rood of potatoes value £1, fifteen head of fowl 15s., and eight ducks value 8s.; will he further say if there has been any recent order issued to pension officers of a nature calculated to stimulate their efforts in depriving pensioners of pensions properly and most carefully awarded?

The Local Government Board upheld an appeal by the pension officer, on the ground that John Dolan had deprived himself of means worth more than £31 10s. a year in order to obtain a pension. He had a life interest in a farm of thirty-five acres, with five cows and other stock, and in December, 1909, he assigned his interest to his nephew, reserving only his support and the grass of two cows. As regards the concluding portion of the question, pension officers are not under my control.

asked whether the Local Government Board have received further evidence of age in the case of the old age pension claimant Honora Lehane, of Knocknaloman, Rathmore, in the Mill-street pension district; whether this evidence tends to show that she is well over seventy years of age and entitled to her pension; and, if so, whether she will receive it?

A claim by Honora Lehane was disallowed by the pension subcommittee in October, 1909, but she has since made a fresh claim, which is at present being investigated by the Local Government Board, on appeal.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will state whether any land sales under the Irish Land Act of 1909 have been completed and the money paid to the vendors; will he say whether sales under this Act are being given precedence over sales of estates in which the purchase agreements were filed prior to September 1909?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that £479,927 has been advanced in direct sales between vendors and tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1909. In addition advances amounting to £171,045 have been made under the same Act for the purchase of estates by the Estates Commissioners and the Congested Districts Board. Sales under the Irish Land Act, 1909, are dealt with independently of sales under the Act of 1903 in accordance with regulations as to priority made under Section 4 of the former Act.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he can state when the estate of R. A. M'Namara, No. M 211, situated at Ballydavid, Littleton, county Tipperary, will be dealt with by the Estates Commissioners; and whether he can state what steps the Estates Commissioners will take to arrange a sale between the owners and those tenants who have declined to purchase their holdings on the ground of price?

This estate is the subject of proceedings for sale under the Irish Land Act, 1903, direct by the vendor to the tenants. The estate is one of those to be dealt with during the present financial year, and the Estates Commissioners hope to make the advances and vest the holdings in the purchasing tenants during the next few months. Certain tenants have refused to purchase at prices which the Commissioners consider fair, and until purchase agreements have been lodged in their cases their holdings cannot be included in the sale.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the contract for a contract for a cottage for Michael Galvin, of Carrignacurra, in the Macroom rural district, has been taken for the past sixteen months and nothing yet done towards its erection, and that a letter from the Local Government Board was read at the district council meeting on the 23rd May, 1911, and an order made that the clerk communicate with the contractor; and what steps have since been taken to compel the contractor to start work on Galvin's cottage?

Carrignacurra is in the Dunmanway rural district, otherwise the facts appear to be correctly stated. The Local Government Board are informed by the clerk of the district council that on the 26th May last he communicated with the contractor, threatening proceedings if the work was not forthwith begun, and that on 20th June the council extended the time for the completion of labourers' cottages to the 1st October next. The Board are communicating again with the council with a view to securing the carrying out of the contract in this case with expedition.

asked if he can say whether the lands of Patrick Mulcahy, at Kileedy, in the county of Limerick, a person of unsound mind, are in the High Court of Justice in Ireland in re Lunacy; and whether Dr. Thomas Mulcahy, who is in possession of the lands, is receiver over the same or is a caretaker of them, or in what capacity does he hold them?

The Registrar in Lunacy informs me that Patrick Mulcahy is not under the control of the Lord Chancellor in Lunacy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can give further particulars of the reply received from the Russian Government in regard to the case of Miss Malecka?

The Russian Government point out that it is laid down in Article 325 of the Russian Criminal Code that "any person absenting himself from his native country, and entering foreign service without the sanction of the Government, or becoming the subject of a foreign country, shall be liable for this violation of his duty and oath of loyalty to a deprivation of all rights and perpetual banishment from the country or, in the event of his subsequent voluntary return to Russia, to banishment to Siberia." It is clear from the above-quoted article that adoption of foreign nationality without due permission of the Russian authorities cannot be considered of itself as renunciation of Russian nationality, as were a Russian subject to be deemed a foreigner from the moment of his adoption of the nationality of a foreign country it would entail recognition of the liability of a foreigner residing outside the limits of Russia to the enactments of a Russian court of law and to punishment for being of such nationality. For this reason and in the absence of any regulations in the existing legislation of the Russian Empire, providing for renunciation of Russian nationality, it is evident that persons of this nationality can only be regarded in Russia as foreigners when they have been released from their obligations as Russian subjects, and exempted from the provisions of the law by Imperial sanction obtained in accordance with procedure, by the Minister of the Interior through the Council of Ministers. The enactment above quoted can be fully applied to natives of the provinces of Poland. Although in point 1 of Article 17 of the-Civil Code in force in these provinces it is enacted that native citizenship ceases consequent to naturalisation in a foreign country, nevertheless, by the Imperial Ukase of 25th April, 1850, the action of Articles 340 and 341 of the Criminal Code (now Articles 325 and 326) was extended to the provinces of Poland, and, in accordance with this Ukase, in cases provided for by the above-mentioned articles, the competent provincial administration, and in Warsaw the chief of the police, upon receipt of information respecting the voluntary absence of persons formerly of Poland or their residence abroad for a period exceeding that granted by the Government—is bound immediately to publish in the newspapers a notification calling upon the persons specified to appear at the nearest police office within six weeks' time. Upon expiry of this term the estate of the person absent abroad is confiscated, and the procurator of the court gives instructions for the institution of a criminal prosecution. The method and conditions are also laid down for the granting to residents in the Polish provinces of emigration passports for settlement abroad. From the above it is clear that the naturalisation in a foreign country mentioned in Article 17 of the Civil Code for Poland involves loss of Russian nationality only when the person in question has renounced his Russian nationality with the permission of the Government authorities.The Russian Government state that John Malecka and his daughter, never received permission to renounce their Russian nationality, and must therefore be regarded in Russia as being at the present time of Russian nationality notwithstanding the naturalisation of the former in Great Britain, and quite apart from the question of whether John Malecka was a native of one of the interior provinces of the Empire or of a Polish province. It is further pointed out that it is clearly laid down by the British Naturalization Law of 12th May, 1870, that naturalization does not hold good as regards the former country of a foreigner if, in accordance with its laws, the naturalization cannot be recog- nized as valid. The Russian Government, therefore, find it impossible to take any steps to comply with the representation of His Majesty's Government on behalf of Miss Malecka; but owing to the friendly relations existing between the two Governments they will expedite the course of the matter as much as possible. The Russian Government add that the arrest of Miss Malecka was the outcome of her political relations with members of the Polish socialistic party.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can induce the Midland Great Western Railway Company of Ireland to run carriages connecting with the arrival and departure of boats at Kingstown pier, as is done by the other railway companies having termini in Dublin, and also to connect with the mail-boat on Sunday evenings as on other evenings?

This is not a matter in regard to which the Board of Trade have any jurisdiction, but I have communicated the hon. Member's question to the railway company, and have received a reply of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Education the total number of actual students enrolled in the following technical schools from the beginning of the session in September or October up till the end of March, and the actual number of individual students in attendance during March: Manchester, Bradford, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield, and the percentage of passes gained in the various schools?

In the case of some of these towns a certain amount of what may be called technical work is undertaken by universities. In these cases I have accordingly obtained the information asked for by the hon. Member with regard to those portions of the work of the universities (excluding medical work) which have been recognised during the past year under the Board's Regulations for Technical Schools, etc. In the columns below this information is included in addition to and separately from, information with regard to the various technical schools and colleges in the towns referred to. It will be observed that in Sheffield all the technical work in question is taken at the university. The figures are:—

Institution.	Total number of Students enrolled from the beginning of the School Year 1910–11 up to the end of March, 1911.	Actual number of Students in attendance during March, 1911.
Liverpool: Central Municipal Technical School	1,716	1,326
Liverpool University	137	135
Manchester: Municipal School of Technology	4,867	3,550
Birmingham: Municipal Technical School	2,781	2,137
Birmingham University	184	183
Bradford Technical College	1,174	1,121
Leeds: Central Technical School	1,463	1,325
Leeds University	175	172
Sheffield University Department of Applied Science.	1,596	1,112

It is not the practice of the Board to require information as to the examination successes of students in respect of whom they pay Grants under their Regulations for Technical Schools, etc. I am not, therefore, in a position to furnish an answer to the second part of the question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the so-called Irish Provident Assurance Company, the London and Provincial Company, and the Central Motor Car Company, of Fleet Street, Dublin, have been worked by the same persons; how much money each of the second and third of those companies owes to the first; for what purpose, and by what authority, the sum of £2,000 was paid out of the funds of the Irish Provident to Mr. F. C. Norman; what salaries have been paid to the managing director, the secretary, and the inspectors, respectively, of the Irish Provident; and what percentage of the money entrusted to that company has been spent in salaries and expenses?

According to the last returns filed with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies by the three companies mentioned by the hon. Member in his question, the Irish Provident Assurance Company had before it went into liquidation five directors, and the London and Provincial Assurance Company has eight directors; four out of the five directors of the Irish Provident Assurance Company were also directors of the London and Provincial Assurance Company. With regard to the last of the three companies, namely, the Central Motor Car Company, the only company registered of that name was dissolved in January, 1908, and so far as can be gathered from the last list of directors filed, had no connection whatever with the first two companies. The latter part of the hon. Member's question deals with matters which are not required to be disclosed in the filed records of the company, and as to which I have no information.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been directed to the excellent statistics of German wages revealed by the operation of the German social insurance laws; and if he will see that they are included in future issues of the Abstract of Foreign Labour Statistics?

I am aware of the information respecting the earnings of insured persons which is obtained in connection with the German insurance laws, and when the next edition of the Abstract of Foreign Labour Statistics is being prepared, full consideration will be given to these data, especially to those which have recently been elaborated by some of the larger sick funds in Germany.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in rural districts where telegraph offices are wide apart and half-holidays are given to those in charge by closing small offices, he will see that the whole cost of such half-holiday is borne by the Post Office, and not by charging carriage to those who receive telegrams on such half-holidays and who live outside the ordinary radius of any office other than one closed for a half-holiday?

As I informed the Noble Lord the Member for Wigtownshire, on the 10th ultimo, I have decided that no additional porterage is to charged for the delivery of telegrams from a more distant office when the usual delivery office is closed for a weekly half-holiday.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the proposal for granting reduced telephonic rates to farmers has been carried into effect; and, if so, whether market gardeners receive the same benefit?

The special rate for rural party lines to which the hon. Member refers has been in force for some time. The benefit of the arrangement is open to all residents in rural districts including market gardeners, and is not limited to farmers.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that when the House sits on a Bank Holiday the Irish mail is not delivered to Members; and whether, as the mail reaches London in the usual way and at the time usual on other days, he will see that it is conveyed from Euston to the House and delivered to Members?

I have given instructions that when the House is sitting on Bank Holidays the Irish day mail letters shall be delivered as on other weekdays.

asked the Postmaster-General if his attention has been called to the fact that the arrangement he made for expediting the outward American mail from Queenstown has not brought about the promised results; is he aware that these mails have been frequently not delivered in New York on Thursdays nor forwarded to distant places on those nights; in the circumstances will he have a Return, showing, since the 15th January to date, the hours that the mails leaving on Saturdays and Wednesdays have been landed at and despatched from New York, and what the times would have been had the vessels sailed direct from Liverpool and Southampton without calling at Queenstown; and will he agree to take the whole subject into consideration with a view to arranging what is best for the general public, irrespective of the local interests at Queenstown?

I have given close attention to the question of the despatch of the mails from this country to the United States of America, and I am satisfied that the recent acceleration of the Saturday mails has shown itself to be justified. It is true that with the present long course it has not been possible to deliver in New York on Thursday evenings, but on several occasions the mails for the West and for Canada have been despatched by Thursday night trains. The occasions will probably be more numerous when the shorter course is followed in the autumn. The omission of the call at Queenstown would necessitate a serious curtailment of the facilities for late posting at present enjoyed by the public in the United Kingdom, while in the case of the mid-week packets of the White Star Line

Name of Packet.	Date of Sailing from Liverpool or Southampton.		Arrival of Mails at new York Post Office.	Time of delivery in New York.	Time of despatch by rail from New York.
Mauretania	21st Jan.	…	27th Jan., 3.15 p.m.	1st delivery, Saturday, Jan, 28th 1911.	West Jan. 27/11, 6.30 p.m. train.
					West Jan. 27/11, 6.34 p.m. train.
					East Jan. 27/11, 5.00 p.m. train.
					South Jan, 27/11, 6.34 p.m. train.
					Chicago Jan, 27/11, 6.30 p.m. train.
					Chicago Jan, 27/11, 9.30 p.m. train.
					Canada Jan, 27/11, 6.30 p.m. train.
					Canada Jan, 27/11, 7.16 p.m. train.
Lusitania	29th Jan	…	3rd Feb., 9.51 a.m.	12.5 p.m. delivery, Friday, Feb. 3rd	West Feb. 3/11, 2.16 p.m. train.
					West Feb. 3/11, 6.30 p.m. train.
					West Feb. 3/11, 6.34 p.m. train.
					East Feb. 3/11, 1.02 p.m. train.
					South Feb. 3/11, 3.34 p.m. train.
					Chicago Feb. 3/11, 4.00 p.m. train.
					Chicago Feb. 3/11, 6.30 p.m. train.
					Canada Feb. 3/11, 6.30 p.m. train.
					Canada Feb. 3/11, 6.56 p.m. train.
Campania	4th Feb	…	11th Feb., 3.10 a.m.	—	—
Mauretania	11th Feb	…	17th Feb., 0.12 a.m.	1st delivery, Friday, Feb. 17th	West Feb. 17/11, 3.05 a.m. train.
					West Feb. 17/11, 8.04 a.m. train.
					East Feb. 17/11, 2.10 a.m. train.
					South Feb. 17/11, 4.36 a.m. train.
					Chicago Feb. 17/11, 3.05 a.m. train.
					Canada Feb. 17/11, 3.05 a.m. train.
Lusitania	18th Feb	…	24th Feb., 6.53 p.m.	1st delivery, Saturday Feb. 25th	West Feb, 25/11, 3.01 a.m. train
					West Feb, 25/11, 3.05 a.m. train
					East Feb. 24/11, 11.10 p.m. train.
					South Feb. 24/11, 9.52 p.m. train.
					Chicago Feb. 24/11, 9.30 p.m. train.
					Canada Feb. 25/11, 12.26 a.m. train.
					Canada Feb. 25/11, 3.05 a.m. train.
Franconia	25th Feb	…	6th Mar., 1.25 p.m.	—	—
Mauretania	4th Mar	…	10th Mar., 8.53 a.m.	10.30 a.m. delivery, Friday, Mar. 10th	West Mar. 10/11, 12.51 p.m. train.
					West Mar. 10/11, 2.16 p.m. train.
					East Mar. 10/11, 12.01 p.m. train.
					South Mar. 10/11, 11.08 a.m. train.
					Chicago Mar. 10/11, 4.00 p.m. train.
					Canada Mar. 10/11, 12.51 p.m. train.
					Canada Mar. 10/11, 6.56 p.m. train.
Lusitania	11th Mar	…	17th Mar., 2.3 a.m.	1st delivery, Friday Mar. 17th	West Mar.17/11, 8.04 a.m. train.
					West Mar.17/11, 8.46 a.m. train.
					East Mar.17/11, 4.50 a.m. train.
					South Mar.17/11, 4.36 a.m. train.
					Chicago Mar. 17/11, 8.46 a.m. train.
					Canada Mar. 17/11, 8.46 a.m. train.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will say how many telephone call offices are in the counties of York, Lincoln, and Norfolk; can he say whether the local and trunk calls are charged to users at a uniform rate; and will he state the various rates of charges in the respective counties?

Most of the telephone call offices in these counties belong to the National Telephone Company, and it would be necessary to communicate with the company as to the number of such offices and the fees for local calls charged at them. The fees for trunk calls are uniform, and can be given. If the hon. Member has any particular cases in view I shall be glad if he will send me a statement of the facts.

asked the Postmaster-General whether there has been any increase since the issue of stamps under the new contract in the normal figure representing the number of letters refused by their addressees and the amount collected by the postmen for unpaid letters, respectively?

I regret that no figures are available which would enable me to answer this question, and to obtain them would involve a long and minute investigation of great numbers of daily accounts.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether the Board of Agriculture will prohibit the importation of feeding stuffs from countries infected with foot-and-mouth disease, in view of the fact that experts agree that the germ can be carried by hay, straw, and other feeding stuffs?

In view of the very considerable quantity of feeding stuffs imported from abroad, the issue of an Order for the purpose suggested would be attended with most serious consequences, alike to agriculturists and to the community as a whole.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, despite the order of the Board of Agriculture, dated 4th March, 1908, prohibiting the importation of hay and straw from countries infected with foot-and-mouth disease, quantities of eggs are imported into this country packed in hay or straw, which is in all probability infected with the disease; and whether he will take steps to prevent this?

The Order to which the hon. Member refers does not apply to hay and straw used for packing merchandise. Its extension, as suggested, would be attended with considerable loss and inconvenience, and the Board do not think that the amendment of the Order in this respect could be justified at present, as no infection has been traced to this source.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, when the report of the recent conference of fishing committees will be circulated; and when the proposals made by the Board for assisting the protection of fisheries within the three-mile limit will come into force if accepted by the Development Commission?

The report referred to is with the printers, and it will be available shortly. The answer to the latter part of the question is dependent upon the decision of the Development Commissioner.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if steps will be taken to bring small fishermen as well as small cultivators into the scope of the Bill for establishing credit banks?

The suggestion of my hon. Friend will be kept in view, but I am advised that the promotion of fishery credit, and insurance societies on the same lines as those proposed in the agricultural credit and insurance societies would require a separate Bill, and special provision would have to be made for the expenditure entailed.

asked the hon. Member for Southampton, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, if he will state the date on which the Office of Works Vote will be considered, so that the House may indicate its opinion of the schemes for placing the King Edward Memorial at Hyde Park Corner and in Green Park respectively?

The First Commissioner of Works regrets that, in view of the state of business, he cannot promise an opportunity for discussing this matter.