asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, under the National Insurance Act, large insurance companies and benefit societies, such as the Hearts of Oak Benefit Society, may take over for the purposes of the Act the employés of large factories and shops, etc., in large numbers, indifferent lives included, without each one of the employés signing personally an approved application form?

The answer is in the negative. The choice of an approved society lies in every case with the insured person, and cannot be exercised on his behalf by his employer. Pressure, direct or indirect, exerted by employers upon persons in their employment to join particular societies is wholly contrary to the-principle of the Act and the intention of Parliament.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been directed to a resolution passed by the County Dublin Farmers' Association on the 6th June last, in which a protest is made against the inadequacy of the representation given to the farmers of the county of Dublin on the Advisory Committee appointed under the National Insurance Act; whether the Irish Insurance Commissioners were asked by the association mentioned to put a practical Dublin county farmer on the Committee and refused to do so; and if the Commissioners so refused, why, and whether they will now reconsider their refusal?

The answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. The farming community is represented by three gentlemen thoroughly conversant with farmers' interests. It would be quite impracticable to give local representation to every one of the interests involved, and the Commissioners see no reason for reconsidering their decision.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether large companies or societies, by arrangement with the employers, can have their representative in attendance at the factories and workshop offices for the purpose of attaching the stamps to the prescribed forms and keeping the cards, without reference to the employés?

The Commission would take objection to any arrangement whereby an approved society, or any company or body which formed a separate section, or any company or body which directly or indirectly had formed an approved society, undertook the duty of stamping cards on behalf of other employers.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury, whether the National Insurance Commission intends to make regulations providing that approved societies are only to be allowed 5d. a year per man for managing the maternity benefits and all other administrative expenses in respect of seamen, marines, and soldiers, in addition to an initial sum of 9d. for the preliminary expenses; and whether he is aware that the complete inadequacy of the allowance will make approved societies undesirous of taking the men?

The 5d. mentioned in the draft regulations is the amount which may be carried to the administra- tion account out of contributions making; the total amount available (when the State Grant has been added) 6 3–7d. The initial Grant is 91–3d. from contributions, making Is. in all with the State Grant, as in the case of ordinary members. The draft regulations were published in accordance with the Rules Publication Act on the 28th May last, and the Commissioners are prepared to consider any objections which may be raised by societies interested" before making the regulations substantive, provided that such objections are put to them in writing before the expiry of forty days from the date of publication of the draft.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that shots were fired into the house of a man named O'Connor, at Duagh, near Listowel, county Kerry, and that the windows of his house were broken, and that horns are continually blown near to Mr. O'Connor's house for the purpose of annoying him; and will he state what steps are being taken to protect Mr. O'Connor and his property, and to bring the perpetrators of these outrages to justice?

The police authorities inform me that one shot was fired into the house of O'Connor at Duagh, and the kitchen windows broken on the morning of the 13th instant. The horn blowing complained of is the work of small boys, and the police are doing everything to stop it. O'Connor is receiving all necessary protection, and the police are taking all steps possible to bring the guilty parties; to justice.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the claim of John Buckley, Liscahane, Millstreet, for an old age pension was reviewed by the Local Government Board on appeal and fixed at 3s. per week; that subsequently they revised their own decision without any alteration whatever having taken place meanwhile in the circumstances of Mr. Buckley and deprived him altogether of his pension; and will he explain why the Local Government Board altered a decision already given by them on appeal?

As I have already informed the hon. Member, John Buckley's pension was disallowed by the Local Government Board on the 9th May, 1912, on the ground that his means exceeded the statutory limit. The Board have no record of the case having been under their consideration on any previous occasion.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he will give a Return of all increments and promotions, respectively, in Circuit 8 B during the following periods ended 31st March, 1906, 31st March, 1909, and 31st March, 1912?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the question on this subject asked by the hon. Member for Mid-Armagh on 7th May.

asked the President of the Board of Education the amount of loans raised for the purposes of elementary education by the education authorities of England and Wales, and the payments made in respect of loan charges, principal and interest, in the years 1908–9, 1909–10, and 1910–11?

The figures are set out below:—

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the continued complaints of the lack of Irish-speaking indoor Post Office officials, as distinguished from letter-carriers, in Irish-speaking districts in Ireland, he will ascertain from the postmasters in those districts whether or not there is an Irish-speaking indoor office official or assistant in each?

I am not aware that continued complaints are made of the lack of Irish-speaking indoor post office officials in Irish-speaking districts in Ireland, and I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by obtaining the return suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General how many of the thirteen Irish-speaking officials said to be in Galway post office have had their knowledge tested in any regular manner; if found competent for their work, how is it that correspondence addressed in Irish and posted in Galway is usually sent to Dublin for translation, with the result that it takes three or four days to reach an addressee in Galway city itself; and whether he will arrange to have all Irish correspondence dealt with where posted, at least within the Irish-speaking area?

The officers in question experience no difficulty in dealing expeditiously with postal packets addressed in Irish. The only letter known to have been sent from Gawlay to Dublin for translation was dealt with by an officer newly transferred to Galway, who was unaware that a translation could be made locally. Letters addressed in Irish are dealt with locally whenever practicable.

asked the Postmaster-General to what class of officer in the sectional engineers' offices the duty of appropriating cable pairs for subscribers, telegraph, private wire and other circuits, proposing routes for new circuits, and devising diversion schemes in connection with the laying of new main cables and keeping records of the same, is proper to?

The responsibility in these matters rests with the engineer. It is impossible to limit by definite rules the extent to which he may avail himself of the service of his clerks.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that Civil Service assistant clerks, employed in the Engineering Department of the Post Office, who were appointed as such subsequent to the 1st April, 1905, but prior to the 1st April, 1909, have been disallowed the benefit of the improved rate of 10d. per hour for the performance of extra duty after having reached a nominal salary of £85 per annum; and whether he will take steps to see that all assistant clerks shall receive the benefit of the rate referred to after the completion of six years' service?

Overtime rates are calculated, in the case of assistant clerks as in the case of all other classes, upon actual salary. No assistant clerk in the Post Office who is in receipt of as much as £85 a year is paid less than old. an hour for extra duty. The hon. Member's phrase "nominal salary" is apparently based on the supposition that a salary with a yearly increment is "nominally" increased from day to day or even from hour to hour during the incremental period. That is not the accepted theory of the Civil Service.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that he is not concerned in questions affecting the pay and privileges of Civil Service assistant clerks since they form a class common to the whole Civil Service, he will quote the authority under which he is grading as Civil Service assistant clerks 123 of the transferred officers of the late National Telephone Company whom he proposes to call to the service of the engineering department of the Post Office, having regard to the fact that the transfer is one peculiar to the Post Office only?

Officers transferred from the National Telephone Company have been placed upon the assistant clerks' class under the power conferred upon me by the Telephone Transfer Act, 1911, and Clause II. of the Order in Council of the 10th January, 1910. The transferred officers were performing duties similar to those allotted to assistant clerks in the Post Office.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the inadequacy of the postal arrangements at Clanvaraghan, Castle-wellan, county Down; whether, as it is five miles distance between the post offices at Annsboro and Slievenisky, he will cause a letter-box to be erected at Clanvaraghan; and whether, as there is only a three-day delivery in the district, he will arrange for a day delivery, or at least for a daily delivery at the national school when open?

I am having inquiry made, and will communicate the result to the hon. Member.