asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether under the National Insurance Act a society which has less than 5,000 members, and which joins an association or becomes grouped, will have to transfer one-third of its existing or future surplus to the central financial committee of such association or the Insurance Committee; and, if not, what section of the Act frees such a society from this obligation?

The Act does not operate so as to deprive any society, either now or in the future, of any surplus which has accrued in respect of the operations of the society before the Act comes into operation, or of any surplus which may accrue in the future from the operations of the society outside the Act. So far as future surpluses arising under the Act are concerned, one-third of the surplus so accruing of any society with less than five thousand members will be available under certain conditions for making good three-quarters, or in some cases the whole, of the deficiencies arising in the same association or group. If the money so available is more than sufficient for the purpose the balance will be returned to the societies which contributed from their surpluses in proportion to their several contributions.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that three large farms are to be found on the estate of the representatives of George E. Deering, Dunmore, county Galway; has this estate, including the untenanted land, been offered to the Congested Districts Board; and will he explain why, seeing that this good available land is at hand, steps are not being taken to make the holdings of the congests economic?

This estate has been offered to the Congested Districts Board who are having it inspected with a view to making an offer to the owner. They can make no statement with regard to the ultimate disposal of the land if acquired.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can state the present position of the negotiations for the purchase of the estates of Lord Leitrim and Colonel Barton, in county Donegal?

The Congested Districts Board understand that the maps and documents necessary for a preliminary inspection of Lord Leitrim's estate, with a view to a sale through them, are being prepared. The maps and documents in the case of the estate of Colonel B. J. Barton have been lodged with the Board, and the question of purchasing the property is under consideration.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland when was Mr. John Sweeney, J.P., Burtonport, county Donegal, appointed to the Commission of the Peace; was the Lord Chancellor aware that this Justice of the Peace had and still has four public-houses in the petty sessions districts where he acts as justice—namely, at Burtonport, Dungloe, Maghery, and Mullaghdoo; is the Irish Government aware that this justice, after repeated convictions for breaches of the licensing laws and for assault before he became a Justice of the Peace, has more recently added to his record convictions for selling drink on unlicensed premises and for selling adultered rum, and that he sits on the bench to hear cases of drunkenness arising in his own public-houses; and will the Lord Chancellor consider the advisability of superseding Mr. Sweney, who has also been appointed a commissioner for affidavits?

As I have stated in reply to previous questions, Mr. Sweeney was appointed to the Commission of the Peace on the recommendation of the Lieutenant of the county by the late Lord Chancellor, who was not aware at the time that he had a public-house. Mr. Sweeney was not convicted of assault, but he has been fined 5s. for an offence in connection with the sale of rum committed on his licensed premises. He was also convicted for a breach of the licensing laws in February, 1911. The late Lord Chancellor, who inquired carefully into the case, did not consider that it called for any action on his part, and, having regard to this decision, the present Lord Chancellor does not think it necessary to do anything further.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board have received representations as to the flooding of lands in the Glen and Owencarrow districts, county Donegal; and will he say what it is proposed to do in the matter?

The Congested Districts Board are aware of the flooding of lands that takes place in the Glen and Owencarrow districts, but an investigation with a view to any possible remedial operations cannot be made until the Board become the owners of the lands affected.

asked the Chief Secretary why the claim of Mary Lambe, of Dundalk, to an old age pension, which was granted by the local committee, was on appeal refused by the Local Government Board on the ground that her name did not appear in the Census; whether she produced affidavits of men who knew her from infancy to the effect that she is over seventy; and whether in such cases applicants, no matter what their age may be, can ever hope to get pensions?

Mary Lambe's claim for a pension was disallowed on the ground that there was not sufficient evidence of her having attained the statutory age, the affidavits referred to not affording such evidence. The onus lies on the claimants to furnish satisfactory proof of age, and in the absence of such proof the Local Government Board have no power to award a pension.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that, at a special Court held in Castlebar on 30th January last, Mr. Thomas S. Moclair, of Rahins, was returned for trial to the Mayo Assizes on a charge of alleged conspiracy in connection with a public meeting held at Straide on 17th December, 1910; that Mr. Moclair answered to his recognisances at the Mayo Assises held on 13th March, and presented himself thereat for trial; that an application was made to Lord Justice Holmes on behalf of the Crown for an adjournment, with a view to a further application being made later on for a change of venue; that this application, which was opposed by Mr. Moclair, was granted; and, having regard to the expenses which will necessarily be incurred by Mr. Moclair as a result of the action of the Crown, firstly, in having to attend in Dublin when the application for a change of venue is being made, and, secondly, in attending to take his trial at whatever place may be fixed, whether the Crown are prepared to follow the same course in this case as was adopted in similar circumstances in the case against Mr. Joseph Conroy, and defray Mr. Moclair's expenses in connection with the application for a change of venue and the subsequent trial?

The Crown are prepared to follow the same course in Mr. Moclair's case as in Mr. Conroy's case, and will accordingly pay Mr. Moclair's personal expenses, and those of his necessary witnesses, occasioned by their attendance in Dublin.

asked the Chief Secretary whether it has been brought to his notice that the operation of the existing rule which debars Royal Irish Constabulary men who have passed in the P list from going up for examination after forty-five years of age has excluded some of the best men in the service from obtaining proper recognition and promotion; and whether there is any and, if so, what objection to extending this age limit to forty-eight years, which is the age UD to which a head constable can by seniority and without reference to literary qualifications compete for district inspectorship?

The system of filling a proportion of the vacancies in the rank of district inspector by competition amongst head constables on the P list was introduced in January, 1895. The limit of age for candidates was then fixed at forty-two years, but in June, 1900, it was raised to forty-five years. This rule has up to the present worked satisfactorily. The competitive system was instituted in order to enable comparatively young and active head constables to attain the rank of district inspector. Having regard to the fact that district inspectors may be retired at sixty years of age, and that active men are required to fill the office, the police authorities consider that forty-eight years is too high a limit to fix. Under the present rule a sufficient number of eligible candidates have always been available. It is possible that some good men are prevented by the age limit from obtaining promotion, but this applies equally to the men on the seniority list, who are eligible until the age of forty-eight.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he will state the names of the county borough and of the non-county boroughs in England and Wales whose accounts, apart from education accounts, are audited by the Local Government Board under local Acts or Provisional Orders; what are the titles of the Acts or Provisional Orders under which the accounts are so audited; which boroughs asked for such audit; and upon which boroughs was it imposed by either Parliament or the Local Government Board?

The whole of the accounts of the town councils of the following boroughs have been made subject to audit by district auditors appointed by the Local Government Board in pursuance of the local Acts or Provisional Orders specified below:—

County Boroughs.			Title of Act.
Bournemouth	…	…	Bournemouth Improvement Act, 1892.
Plymouth	…	…	Plymouth Corporation Act, 1904.
Merthyr Tydvil	…	…	Municipal Corporation (Merthyr Tydvil Scheme Confirmatiion) Act, 1905.
*Southampton	…	…	Southampton Corporation Act, 1910.
*Hastings	…	…	Hastings Corporation (Water and Finance Act, 1911.
Non-County Boroughs.
Tunbridge Wells	…	…	Tunbridge Wells Improvement Act, 1890.
Southend-on-Sea	…	…	Sounthend-on-Sea Corporation Act, 1895.
Swindon	…	…	Swindon Corporation Act, 1904.
Cheltenham	…	…	Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 15) Act, 1905.
Poole	…	…	Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 12) Act, 1905.
Chemsford	…	…	Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 8) Act, 1907.
East Ham	…	…	Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 6) Act, 1908.
Monmouth	…	…	Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 10) Act, 1908.
Margate	…	…	Margate Corporation Act, 1908.
Shrewsbury	…	…	Shrewsbury Corporation Act, 1909.
*Warrington	…	…	Warrington Corporation Act, 1911.
*Lancaster	…	…	Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 14) Act, 1911.
*Christchurch	…	…	Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 7) Act, 1911.
*The accounts in these cases come under audit from the 1st of April, 1912.

In the cases of Plymouth, Warrington, and Merthyr Tydvil the provisions as to audit were inserted in the local or Confirming Act by the Committee of the House of Commons. In the case of Chelmsford it was inserted in the Confirming Act by the request of the town council. In all the other cases the accounts were subjected to audit on the application of the town council, although, in some instances, the application was made as a result of pressure from the Local Government Board or from the locality.

asked the Attorney-General whether his attention has been called to a passage in the "Labour Leader" of 22nd March, stating that before the present prosecutions were instituted soldiers were urged to refuse to shoot their kinsmen who were battling

I do not intend to institute proceedings against the editor or printers of the newspaper in question for the publication of the 22nd March. I refer my lion. Friend to the answer given by me on the 26th instant to the Noble Lord the Member for Horsham. As I have already stated in the House on more than one occasion, I proceeded with the prosecution of those whose names appeared on the sheet of the "Syndicalist" as responsible for its publication.

asked the Attorney-General whether his attention has been drawn to an article, entitled "Soldiers and Strikes," in the "Labour Leader" of 1st March; and what steps he intends to take in the matter?

I do not propose to take any steps with reference to the matter for the reasons I explained recently to the House.

asked the Attorney-General what is the cause of the prolonged delay on the part of the Public Trustee, as executor, in winding-up the estate of A. Muir Wilson, late of Sheffield, solicitor, deceased; and whether, pending such winding-up, and in view of the present condition of destitution of John Gill, late of Scaife House, Fewston, in the county of York, farmer, and his family, creditors of the said testator's estate to the amount of £12,000 or thereabouts, he will pay thereout to the said creditors the whole or any part of the above sum?

The Public Trustee informs me that there has been no delay in winding-up the estate of the late Mr. Muir Wilson. The moneys required for the settlement of the claim of Mr. John Gill and family have always been available, both prior and subsequent to the death, and are still held in a separate account. The Gill family have hitherto claimed about £8,500 more than is in fact now due. They have also unsuccessfully endeavoured in the Chancery Division and in the Court of Appeal to set aside the sale of the property to the Leeds Corporation, from which the moneys in the hands of the Public Trustee have been derived. The Public Trustee is, and always has been, willing to pay to the Gill family such sum as may be due to them, but is advised to make no payments until the amount due is definitely agreed, and until the litigation against the Leeds Corporation is at an end. He is further advised that he ought not to pay the money into Court, which he would be glad to do if he could, and thus relieve the estate of further expense.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will cause further investigation to be made into the case of Mr. John Drum, who was a candidate at Londonderry on 30th November last for the post of learner in Roscrea Post Office, and who states he was directed to attend and given an entry form, but the superintendent at Londonderry was not advised of the fact and refused to allow Mr. Drum to compete, and only eventually admitted him under protest and late, rendering the candidate confused and nervous; and will he see if any redress can be afforded Mr. Drum, who at the previous examination had obtained second place?

This matter was fully investigated at the time. Although his name did not appear in the list of candidates supplied by the Civil Service Commission there was no hesitation in admitting Mr. Drum to the examination, and arrangements were quickly made which enabled him to begin work at the same time as the other candidates. I find no reason to think that the omission of his name from the list of candidates had any effect on the result of the competition.

asked the Postmaster-General whether a set of fire-bars, weighing seven pounds, was posted from Scotland to Mr. W. Cunningham, Coleraine, on 14th August last, in the same wrapping as had on many previous occasions ensured the safe arrival of similar parcels, and arrived broken; whether a set to replace, forwarded three days later and similarly packed, also arrived broken; whether a third set, forwarded on 21st August and specially packed, arrived broken; whether the Department has offered to compensate for the third set, but refuses payment for the first two sets, and on what grounds; and whether he is aware that numerous sets, packed as the first two were, are now being forwarded by steamer and railway and are being safely delivered?

Three sets of cast-iron bars were, as stated, sent from Scotland to Mr. Cunningham, of Coleraine, and all three sets were broken. The first two sets were protected by brown paper only, the last set by straw rope as well. For the last set the Post Office accepted liability. Claims in respect of the first two sets were refused because the Post Office has, as a result of experience, long been forced to class cast-iron articles, which are generally brittle, as not sufficiently protected whether sent in bags or baskets unless well wrapped in some soft material. My inquiries go to show that many of the railway companies find it necessary to protect themselves either by extra rates for light iron castings or by carrying at sender's risk only. I understand that similar articles are being forwarded by other carrying agencies, but I do not know how they are packed, upon what terms they are accepted, and with what degree of safety they are conveyed. I am endeavouring to take some special steps in the matter, as the traffic appears to be considerable.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will state the total number of the established operating staff employed in the Central Telegraph Office; the total number of hours overtime performed by them during 1911; and the number of hours modification of duty given to the staff during that period?

The established operating staff in the Central Telegraph Office consists of 1,968 men and 950 women. It is not possible, without considerable trouble, to prepare a return showing the total number of hours of overtime performed by the operating staff during the year 1911; but a return already taken for the twelve months ended 30th November, 1911, which will perhaps meet the hon. Member's wishes, showed approximately 314,000 hours performed by men and 28,500 by women. These figures are large, but the circumstances were abnormal last year owing to the Coronation, railway strikes, etc. Figures showing the number of hours of modification of duty given to the staff in 1911 are not available, and I regret that I cannot undertake to have a special return taken.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, what is the total height of the memorial proposed by the King Edward VII. Memorial Committee; and what is the approximate height of the trees immediately adjacent to the site of the memorial?

The height of the memorial will be 43 feet. The trees immediately adjacent to the site are 60 feet in height. The trees in the newly-planted avenue are 20 feet in height.