asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any objections were made by the neighbourhood at the erection of a hoarding during alterations to be made at Wellington House, which has been bought under the National Insurance Act; whether repeated objections were made at the noise made during the night; and whether the contractor was ordered to cease the nightly disturbance?

It was necessary to carry out the alterations at Wellington House in a very short space of time, and some of the work had, therefore, to be done at night. In consequence of some complaints which were received, instructions were given that the noisy work should be carried out during the daytime.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland when will the Irish National Health Commissioners be able to make known definitely the subjects for examinations for positions under their control, so that intending applicants may have an opportunity of studying the subjects for examination?

With the exception of one officer appointed as private secretary to the chairman for special qualifications from the staff of the Bank of Ireland, the only permanent appointments at present being filled are being filled by transfer from other public Departments without examination. When it becomes necessary to make clerical appointments by examination from outside the public service the Commissioners will probably avail themselves of one or more of the existing competitive examinations for clerical appointments in the Civil Service generally. The method of recruitment for non-clerical posts has not yet been settled, but if any special examination is set up due public notice will be given.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the proprietor of the Thatched House Hotel, Epping, recently appealed to the Commissioners of Excise and Customs against the assessment of his property for Inhabited House Duty, on the grounds that the gross value as fixed by the local Commissioner of Taxes exceeds by £25 the gross value as determined by the Assessment Committee for Poor Law purposes; that the Commissioners of Excise and Customs, in a letter dated 3rd February, 1912, declined to reduce the value for Inhabited House Duty to the Poor Law basis, and insisted (in effect) upon regarding the motor garage, stables, loose boxes, etc., as part of the licensed premises, although alcoholic liquor is neither stored, sold, nor consumed therein; whether, having regard to Section 4 of the Finance Act, 1911, it is proposed to treat the stabling of horses and the storage of motor cars as identical with, and not ancillary to, the business of a licensed trader in alcoholic liquors; and whether he will direct that the Commissioners of Excise and Customs be requested to revise their decision and redress the grievance of which the appellant complains?

The Commissioners of Customs and Excise have nothing to do with assessments to Inhabited House Duty. These assessments are made by the local Commissioners of Taxes, to whom any appeal for reduction should be addressed. An application was recently made, under Section 4 of the Finance Act, 1911, to the Commissioners of Customs and Excise by the licence holder of the Thatched House Hotel, Epping, for reduction of the Duty on his licence on the ground that the stables, etc., included in the assessment were quite distinct from the hotel. According to the information furnished to the Commissioners it appears that the stables, motor garage, etc., are within the hotel yard, and are ordinarily used by persons resorting, to the licensed premises. In these circumstances the Commissioners decided that the annual value of the stables should be taken into account for the purpose of charging the duty on the licence, and upon the facts before me I see no reason for interfering with their decison. With regard to the definition of premises in Section 4 of the Finance Act, 1911, I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the Debates when that Section was under consideration, from which he will see that it was made clear that for the purpose of the charge of Licence Duty stables normally associated with the carrying on of the business of a trader in liquors would not be excluded from the area of the premises in which the trade is carried on.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, where National school teachers of good character and who have been trained for two years in an Irish training college, and who have given the statutory term of two years' service to the State, and who are now between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five years, make application for positions under the National Health Insurance Commissioners, he will recommend to the Irish National Insurance Commissioners the same privileges of appointment to such national teachers who resign their appointments as those extended to Civil servants, namely, exemption from probationary period and exemption from literary examination?

The school teachers referred to in the question are not established Civil servants, nor do they hold certificates from the Civil Service Commissioners in respect of their present situations. In the event of their selection for appointments under the Irish Insurance Commission, it would be necessary for the Civil Service Commissioners to satisfy themselves of their qualifications for such appointments, either by literary examination or otherwise, as the Commissioners might decide. Persons who have not already served a period of probation for the established Civil Service cannot be exempted from the requirements in that regard of the General Orders in Council, and regulations gaining admission to that Service.

asked the Chief Secretary whether, having regard to the fact that a sum of £7,900 odd was deducted from the Grants-in-Aid to the Limerick County Council from 1903 to 1911, presumably because of defalcations under the Land Purchase Acts, any steps have been taken to make those defaulters pay up; and, in view of the sum at issue, will the Land Commission furnish the names of all those who, during those years, have refused to comply with the law?

The £7,900 referred to comprises £3,200 for arrears of land purchase annuities, and £4,700 for deficiency of income otherwise arising in the Land Purchase Fund. Of the £3,200 no less than £3,000 was drawn from the Guarantee Fund in February, 1911, in respect of instalments due on the previous 1st December, while only £200 represented previous arrears. Considering that the advances in county Limerick under the Land Purchase Acts 1903–9, amount to about £2,500,000, while the chronic, as distinguished from the merely temporary arrears, amount to but £200, it is obvious that on the whole the annuities are paid with punctuality. Proceedings for the recovery of arrears are in all cases promptly taken against defaulters, and if these should fail the holdings are put up for sale. It would be impracticable to give a list of the names of every person who has been temporarily in default during the past eight years. The last annual report of the Land Commission contains at page 168 the names of eight persons in county Limerick, who were in arrear to the extent of two or more instalments. The arrears of £343 then due by those persons has now been reduced to £34.

asked the Chief Secretary whether Gunning, whom it is sought to place on a farm of 120 acres in county Meath, was originally only a caretaker on the lands he now offers to surrender for the relief of acute congestion; whether, if congestion is so acute in the district, the lands were ever given to him; and whether he is at present in receipt of a pension as an ex-policeman?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that Gunning's holding in county Galway was held by him as tenant under a Court lease, and he was in occupation of it before the sale of the property under the Land Purchase Acts. The Commissioners cannot say whether he is in receipt of a pension or not?

asked whether the price offered for the estate of the Countess de Kerveguen, county Meath, is some hundreds of pounds sterling less than the price they paid for the Brennan estate, the two estates being equal moieties of one original estate before it was partitioned; and whether the reduced price is in consequence of any depreciation in the value of land in Meath or intended to operate against the sale of grass lands?

The Estates Commissioners' estimate of price, in each case was made after an inspection of the lands. They are unable to say, whether the lands, when originally divided, were partitioned into parts of equal value as the partition was made long before the proceedings before the Commissioners were instituted.

asked the Chief Secretary whether an inspector from the Estates Commissioners visited the Nicholson estate, at Horath, county Meath; whether he interviewed Mr. J. P. Farrell, the youthful applicant for an advance; if this applicant represented himself as being twenty-three years of age; and, if so, whether any and, if so, what steps have been taken to test the accuracy of his statement; and whether the inspector inquired into the means by which he became the occupant of the farm?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on 29th February, to which I have nothing to add at present.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury, whether holders of an Irish agricultural hereditament under any of the Land Acts, 1881 to 1909, are, for the purposes of The Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910, deemed to possess a tenancy of more than fourteen unexpired years.

A tenancy which is, or is deemed to be, subject to statutory conditions under the Land Law (Ireland) Acts does not constitute an interest in land as denned in Section 41 of the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910. The question whether such a tenancy is in law a leasehold interest for a term exceeding fourteen years is therefore immaterial.

asked the Chief Secretary what steps have been or are being taken by the Estates Commissioners to acquire the Massy estate, Macroom, county Cork; whether agreemnts to purchase have been signed by the tenants for the past five years; under what circumstances was this estate placed in the Land Judge's Court; what negotiations have passed with the Estates Commissioners for its acquisition by them; and when does he expect that the vesting orders will be made in the tenants?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on the 12th April last. The estate is the subject of proceedings for sale to the Estates Commissioners under Section 7 of the Act of 1903, and has not been reached in order of priority for inspection. When the estate has been inspected, and if the Commissioners' offer is accepted by the Land Judge, the tenants will in the usual course be asked to sign undertakings to purchase their holdings at the Commissioners' estimated prices. The Commissioners have no knowledge of the purchase agreements referred to in the question.

asked the amounts deducted from Government Grants to the Leitrim County Council in respect of defalcations under the Land Purchase Acts and extra police during the years 1900, 1910, and 1911, respectively; and how much of the total amount was levied on the rates?

submitted the following statement showing for the years 1909, 1910, and 1911, the amounts deducted from the Grants payable to the Leitrim County Council in respect of land purchase liability in the county and non-payment of the cost of extra police:—

Year ended 31st March.			Deducted in respect of Land Purchase Liability.			Deducted for Non-payment of Cost of Extra Police.
			£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
1909	…	…	985	13	0	313	19	5
1910	…	…	—			731	16	8
1911	…	…	66	5	1	16	5	7

In the year ended 31st March, 1910, a sum of £523 12s. 11d. was added to the share of county Leitrim in the Estate or Death Duly Grant in respect of sums repaid on account of land purchase liability. I have no information with regard to the last paragraph of the question.

asked when will the improvement works on the Ventry estate be begun; when is it proposed to vest those lands on which no improvements will be made; and, if done before next gale day, what is the arrangement with regard to payments made since November, 1909?

The Congested Districts Board inform me that the improvement works are proceeding on the Ventry estate. The Board cannot at present state when they will be in a position to sell the holdings which do not need alteration, as the estate is not yet vested in the Board.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he will direct his attention to the Mahin Hogan estate, Lissy Casey, West Clare, where an arrangement has been arrived at which prevents some of the tenants having a fair share of turbary; and whether an inspector will be sent to confer with the tenants so that this matter may be equitably settled?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on 26th February. The holdings have been vested in the purchasing tenants, and the Estates Commissioners cannot take any further action in the matter.

asked the Chief Secretary the cause of the delay in parcelling out to evicted tenants, uneconomic holders, and deserving labourers the remaining lands on the Fuge estate, at Templemary, county Cork, a portion of this property, having been allotted in May, 1911?

The Estates Commissioners have acquired, under the provisions of the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, and distributed some 533 acres of the lands of Garryduff and Garraunageevoge on the estate referred to. The same owner has instituted proceedings for sale to the Commissioners of some 390 acres of untenanted land at Templemary. A proposal to purchase the lands has been issued, and, if accepted by the owner, the estate will be dealt with in order of priority.

asked whether the Estates Commissioners have considered the application for reinstatement of John Haran, an evicted tenant on the Johnston estate, Kinlough, county Leitrim; and, if not, will it be considered before the estate is vested?

The Estates Commissioners received an application from John Haran for re-instatement in a holding which he states was formerly held by his father as a middleman on the Johnston estate, county Leitrim. The lands are now in the occupation of two tenants who have signed agreements to purchase under the Land Purchase Acts, and the Commissioners cannot take any action in the matter of Haran's application, which does not come within the provisions of the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907.

asked when will evicted tenants on the Ventry estate, county Kerry, be dealt with and given Grants for building and stocking?

The Estates Commissioners have recently caused inquiries to be made into the applications received from persons seeking reinstatement as evicted tenants on this property, but these inquiries are not yet completed.

asked the cause of the delay in reinstating Messrs. Timothy Moynehan, of Lisrobin, Meens, and John Barry, of Meens, two evicted tenants on the estate of Lord Lisle, county Cork, agreements to purchase by the tenants on the estate having been entered into and lodged almost two years ago and the Estates Commission inspector having inspected the property early in the year 1911?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that they have asked the vendor to reinstate Moynihan and Barry at prices fixed by them. The vendor has agreed to do so provided these men agree to sign purchase agreements at these prices. No purchase agreements signed by them have yet been lodged, and until this is done the Commissioners cannot take any further action in the matter.

asked how many rural district councils in the provinces of Ulster, Leinster, Connaught, and Munster, respectively, have made improvement schemes for the building of labourers' houses since the passing of The Labourers (Ireland) Act, 1911; in how many unions in each province have petitions praying for inquiries been sent, to the Local Government Board; and how many inquiries have been held and ordered to be held in each province?

The required information as regards operations under the Labourers (Ireland) Act, 1911 is given in the following Table:—

Province.	Number of Schemes Received.	Number already Inquired into or Inquiry Ordered.	Number of Schemes Made or being Made but not yet Submitted.
Ulster	24	18	31
Munster	22	6	23
Leinster	21	5	22
Connaught	4	3	11
Total	71	32	87

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Return of Estates in the Land Judge's Court, of which Notice stands on the Order Paper, will be granted? (Mr. Ginuell,—Land Judge's Court (Ireland),—Return, by counties, of the Estates now in the Land Judge's Court over which receivers have been appointed (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 269, of Session 1911).

The Return will be presented, but it will take some considerable time to prepare.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Return of Local Contributions to Technical Schemes, of which Notice stands on the Order Paper, will be granted? [Mr. Ginnell,—Local Contributions (Ireland),—Return of all Moneys contributed out of the Rates by the county council and other local bodies in each county in Ireland during the financial year 1911–12, for the purposes of Schemes under the Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act, 1899 (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 305, of Session 1911)]

Yes, Sir.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware of the outrages recently committed against the following persons at the places named, and will he say what was the nature of each occurrence: Bernard O'Hara, at Kinvara, on 16th January; George Houlihan, at Coolderry, Borrisoleigh, on 31st January; Thomas Fallon, at Cappatagle, near Ballinasloe, on 10th February; Joseph Wilson, near Armagh, on 10th February; William Whelan, at Cross Street, Portumna, on 16th February; and Michael Flanaghan, at Lisheen, near Kilfenora, on 20th and 25th February?

The police authorities inform me that a shot was fired at Bernard O'Hara on 16th January; one man arrested and awaiting trial at assizes. Five shots were fired outside George Houlihan's house on 31st January; two persons arrested and one awaiting trial. Two shots were fired at Bernard Fallon on 10th February; no arrest made. On 10th February R. Wilson was injured by a shot; two persons were tried at Assizes, one was acquitted and the jury disagreed as regards the other. The house of W. Whelan was fired into on 21st February; no arrest made. On 20th and 25th February explosions occurred in house of M. Flanagan, caused maliciously; one person committed for trial to Assizes.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether there is any religious qualification or test for non-commissioned officers appointed to fill the post of company-commander and instructor at the Royal Hibernian Military School, Dublin?

Of the six company-commanders, three are required to be Roman Catholics, and three to be Protestants; the number of boys of those religions at the school is approximately equal, and the company-commanders are therefore chosen in like proportion.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether civilian subordinates in Army pay offices are now retired at the age of sixty, and debarred from the privilege accorded to civilian subordinates in other Army Departments of remaining on until they have attained the age of sixty-five; and, if so, will he state the reasons for the distinction made and for the withdrawal of this privilege from civilian subordinates serving in the pay department?

Retirement at sixty has always been the rule for these subordinates in pay offices, experience showing that retention to sixty-five would not promote efficiency in the discharge of their special duties. Some exceptions from this rule were made during the period of war pressure, when the department was short-handed.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, whether he has any official report showing that the real cause of so much illness at Osborne College is that, although the buildings have good foundations, the structures themselves are not suitable for habitation owing to dampness, all the buildings being without damp courses; whether, after repairs have been carried out in the building the portions repaired have been painted in order to stop the damp from rising; whether he is aware that if a sheet of uralite was taken off the base of the building the woodwork underneath would be found in a very wet condition; and what steps the Admiralty will take to remedy this state of affairs?

I am not aware of any such report as that referred to by the Noble Lord. A damp-proof course does exist. Painting has been done after repairs, partly to preserve the structure from the weather and partly for the sake of appearance, but not in order to prevent damp rising. The buildings have been put into a satisfactory condition.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will consider the advisability of retiring school teachers at the age of sixty, seeing; that their mode of life is an arduous one?

The proposal to retire school teachers compulsorily at the age of sixty is not one which the Board of Education is able to adopt at the present time, having regard to the enormous cost to the State if a pension of a reasonable amount is to be made available for the teachers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is his intention during the present Session to introduce legislation giving effect to that portion of the Departmental Committee's Report on Coroners' Law, which dealt with the question of the administration of anæsthetics?

I regret that I do not see any prospect of being able to introduce legislation on this subject during the present Session?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention had been called to the claim of the Eastern Shipping Company, of Penang, that the conditions imposed by the late Governor, Sir John Anderson, G.C.M.G., on the grant of a licence to cut the foreshore to give access to their new dock are wholly illegal and void; and, if so, whether he will take steps to revoke such conditions?

I am aware of the claim made by the company, but I am not prepared to admit the correctness of their views. The conditions imposed by the late Governor have my entire approval.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state what was the total capital cost of construction and of armament equipment, what is the annual cost in maintenance and ammunition, and what is the annual cost of maintenance and pay of officers and men, including prospective non-effective charges, of the "Neptune," "Hercules," "Colossus," "Orion," "Indefatigable," "Conqueror," "Monarch," "Thunderer," "King George V.," "Centurion," "Lion," "Princess Royal," "New Zealand," and "Australia"?

submitted the following statement showing approximately (1) the total capital cost of construction and of armament, equipment; (2) the annual cost of maintenance; and (3) the annual cost of pay, victualling, etc., of officers and men, including prospective non-effective charges, of certain ships:—

Ship.			Total Capital Cost of Construction.		Annual Cost of Maintenance.		Annual Cost, of Full Pay, Wages, and Victualling of Complements, including Liability for Non-effective Charges.
			Hull, Machinery and Boilers, etc.	Armament Equipment.	Repairs, Sea Stores and Fuel, etc.	Ordnance Stores.
			£	£	£	£	£
"Neptune"	…	…	1,526,167	304,000	52,200	6,700	67,680
"Hercules"	…	…	1,527,396	298,700	52,000	6,600	68,020
"Colossus"	…	…	1,538,571	298,700	52,000	6,600	68,020
"Orion"	…	…	1,705,320	323,300	52,200	7,000	67,080
"Indefatigable"	…	…	1,428,980	225,400	54,000	5,300	71,540
"Conqueror"*	…	…	1,713,748	327,400	52,200	7,000	67,080
"Monarch"*	…	…	1,740,012	327,400	52,200	7,000	67,080
"Thunderer"*	…	…	1,738,245	327,400	52,200	7,000	67,080
"King George V."*	…	…	1,816,796	337,500	52,700	7,500	67,230
"Centurion"*	…	…	1,806,371	337,500	52,700	7,300	67,230
"Lion"*	…	…	1,939,408	266,500	74,400	6,300	87,680
"Princess Royal"*	…	…	1,893,586	268,500	74,400	6,300	87,680
"New Zealand"*	…	…	1,800,000	224,300	54,000	5,400	71,540
"Australia"*	…	…	1,800,000	224,300	54,000	5,300	71,540
* These ships are not yet complete.

In the case of the "Australia," which is being constructed for the Australian Commonwealth, the charges relating to personnel in the last column are based on the expense which would be incurred for a similar ship in the Imperial Navy.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) whether he is aware that while the 5 p.m. to 1.45 a.m. special staff at the Central Telegraph Office remains on a voluntary basis its numbers are being reduced monthly, and that, as a direct result of the reduction, compulsory midnight duties have been introduced; whether he will state in what year midnight duties previously existed in this office; (2) whether he can give any reasons for the statement that the voluntary system on which the 5 p.m. to 1.45 a.m. staff of the Central Telegraph Office is based is not entirely satisfactory owing to the services of the most efficient telegraphists not always being available for duties on which they were most needed; whether he can state what are the changed conditions of traffic that necessitate the institution of a new duty terminating at midnight; whether the whole reason for the increase of late duties is that a possible saving may be effected by retaining the midnight staff for short periods regardless of the inconvenience this will cause to them and the possibility of being compelled to walk to their homes;and (3) whether he is aware that the Controller of the Central Telegraph Office has repeatedly declined to give permission for the midnight staff to leave in time to reach home by the ordinary means of conveyance; whether he is aware that the promise of the Postmaster-General that consideration would be shown to this staff has been nullified by a subsequent order from the Controller that all modifications of duty after 11 p.m. are to cease forthwith; and, having regard to the action of the Controller in this matter, whether he will make personal inquiry into such action and into the reasons for the abnormal increase of late duties?

I am aware that the numbers of 5 p.m. to 1.45 a.m. special staff at the Central Telegraph Office are being reduced, and that a duty ending at midnight has been reintroduced. For many years previous to 1898 a duty ending at midnight existed in that office. Experience showed that a change in the former system was necessary owing to the earlier receipt of Parliamentary and other news matter and the earlier going to press of the morning newspapers. The alteration was not made for the reason suggested by the hon. Member. I am not aware that the Controller of the Central Telegraph Office has repeatedly declined to give permission for the midnight staff to leave in time to reach home by the ordinary means of conveyance; on the contrary, I am assured that the Controller has issued instructions that consideration is to be shown in the matter, and that these instructions have been observed in every case.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is able to circulate the Return showing the methods adopted by Foreign States in regard to Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee?

The information has been collected, and is being prepared for publication. But I am not yet in a position to say when it will be ready.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any municipal laws, ordinances, or rules for the regulation of the North Atlantic fisheries have been promulgated since 7th September, 1910?

Yes, Sir; the Canadian and Newfoundland Governments have made regulations on various points; for instance, the Dominion. Government has regulated the use of cod trap nets and herring trap nets and the length of leader which may be used. If the hon. Member so desires, I shall be happy to let him see the "Gazettes" in the Colonial Office Library.