asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that W. Chapple, a first class painter, resident in Islington, complains that he has suffered unemployment owing to his insurance book having been issued to him by the Labour Exchanges and Unemployment Insurance Department of the Board of Trade without credit being given for seven weeks stamps placed on emergency card No. 1364, issued to Chapple, as his book was not ready when the Act came into force; that this card was taken from him when the book was issued; that he was thus made to appear as having been out of work for the seven weeks, and this fact told against him in trying to get a job; is he aware that the book was returned to the Board of Trade on or about the 10th September for the omission to be rectified, where it was kept for many days; that during its absence, Chapple was promised employment subject to the production of his book; that, when he at length obtained it from the Board of Trade on the evening of the 20th September, after a personal call that day, it was in the same condition as before, but accompanied by an unsigned memorandum to the effect that credit for seven stamps had been placed to his account; that this memorandum was not regarded as a sufficient substitute for a credit in the book, and Chapple failed to get the job; can he say if there is any method of alleviating the hardship of Chapple's case, and is the practice followed in that case a usual one; and will steps be taken to prevent any risk of other men suffering in a similar way?

It is not the case that the reason of Mr. Chapple receiving a temporary unemployment book was that his book was not ready when the Act came into force. He did not apply for a book until 29th July, i.e., a fortnight after the Act came into operation. He was at once provided with a temporary book, and on 7th August he was notified that his permanent book was ready. He did not call for it however until 2nd September, and it was received back with a query on 13th September. On 20th September Mr. Chapple had an interview with the Insurance Officer who answered his queries and returned his book with a memorandum to the effect stated in the question. It has not been the practice to make any record in the permanent unemployment books of the stamps affixed to the temporary books exchanged for them, but credit for all these contributions is of course given to each workman in the official register. I understand that this system has worked quite smoothly and that this is the only complaint received, although 82,000 temporary books were issued in the London district alone.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if his attention has been called to the fact that in many agricultural districts the employers frequently insist on taking their men's insurance contributors in a lump sum instead of deducting each man's contribution once a week from his wage; and what steps the Insurance Commissioners propose to take to safeguard the rights of the workers in this respect?

I have no information of the practice referred to in the question. If the hon. Member will give me any specific instances he has in mind I will have inquiry made.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that the time for meeting of many of the provisional health committees will necessitate a financial loss to the working-men members of those committees, steps can be taken to recompense them for the loss sustained, as is done in connection with the Labour Exchange advisory committees?

As I stated in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Carnarvon on 24th July, the Insurance Committees can pay railway fares in counties for any members of committees, and are doing so in a number of cases, I am afraid, however, that in this case, as in that of other similar administrative public bodies with executive power, it would be impossible to arrange for payment for loss of time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if companies having their head offices in London or elsewhere outside of Ireland furnish to the Commissioners of Income Tax particulars showing how much of that tax is deducted from shareholders resident in Ireland and which should be part of Ireland's contribution to the Imperial Exchequer; if not, in what way does Ireland get credit for such Income Tax; is the Estate Duty payable on Guinness shares, and other Irish companies having London head offices, on the death of the shareholder credited to England or Ireland; have grants of probates and administrations for such shares to be re-sealed in London; and is the duty paid in London on tea consumed in Ireland credited to Ireland; and how is such duty ascertained by the Government?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. For the purposes of the Financial Relations Returns (House of Commons Paper 190, of 1912), the Income Tax in question, as collected in each part of the United Kingdom, is adjusted to give the true contribution by each part of the United Kingdom on the basis of information derived from the statistics of the Estate Duty. The Estate Duty payable on Guinness shares and the shares of other Irish companies, on the death of the shareholder, is credited to the country in which it is paid, which is usually the country where the shareholder was domiciled. Grants of probate or administration, either original or resealed, for such shares are required in the country where the transfer register is situate. The duty paid in Great Britain on tea consumed in Ireland is ascertained and credited to Ireland on the principle explained on page 3 of the Return quoted above.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any officers possessed of the necessary qualifications to form the nucleus of the new War Staff, and whose names have already been notified, have received staff appointments, and, if so, what are they; and, if not, when are suitable vacancies for such officers likely to occur?

The officers holding the appointment of flag commander to the undermentioned flag officers have received staff appointments, and have been granted the authorised allowance of 5s. a day:—

• Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleets.
• Commander-in-Chief, China.
• Vice-Admiral commanding Second and Third Fleets.
• Vice - Admiral commanding Second Squadron.
• Vice - Admiral commanding Third Squadron.

In addition, the officers holding the following appointments have been made ex officio War Staff officers, and have been granted the allowance:—

• Commander for wireless telegraphy duties, His Majesty ship "Vernon."
• Commander for experimental duties in His Majesty's ship "Vernon."
• Commander for experimental duties in His Majesty's ship "Excellent."

The officers serving on the Admiralty War Staff hold staff appointments, but they are in receipt of consolidated salaries, and do not receive the allowance. The officers serving on the staff of the Royal Naval War College receive staff allowances under Regulations approved in 1907. Nine of them have been selected for the new War Staff.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that, owing to the difficulty in securing the customary labour for the discharge of coal at Devonport Dockyard on account of the reduced wages being paid by the Admiralty as compared with those formerly paid by the contractor, recourse has been had to the Labour Exchange and men have been engaged who have no knowledge whatever of the business or of the customary rates of pay; and whether he will take steps to see that men are not engaged through the Labour Exchange at wages undercutting the customary rates of pay?

On one occasion inexperienced men were, I understand, engaged through the Labour Exchange. They were paid according to the approved scheme of prices, but as the earnings of all the men were pooled, it no doubt resulted that some men received more and others less than they actually earned for the particular portion of the operations on which engaged The system of pooling has been discontinued, and, from a personal investigation of the matter whilst at Devonport a month ago, I should say that the difficulty is at an end.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give the strength of officers by ranks according to the Army List of 1st October last of the 3rd and 4th Battalions Special Reserve, respectively, excluding Regular establishment, and the deficiency; the strength of non-commissioned officers and men of the 3rd and 4th Battalions Special Reserve, respectively, excluding Regular establishment, and the number of non-commissioned officers and men under twenty years of age, and the number required to complete the establishment of 3rd and 4th battalions, respectively, on the 1st October last; if he will give the strength in non-commissioned officers and men of the three strongest of and the three weakest Line battalions which took part in the recent Army manSuvres, and the number of men of less than one year's service, and the number of non-commissioned officers and men under twenty years of age in these six battalions, respectively, and the strength of a Line battalion in non-commissioned officers and men on the Home establishment in peace and when mobilised for war; if he will give the number of Regular Horse and Field Artillery batteries which were present at the recent Army manSuvres, and the number of horses and guns per battery, and the number of horses and guns required for a battery of Horse and Field Artillery when mobilised for war; and if he will state whether the classification of horses had been finally completed on the 1st October last?

As regards the Special Reserves, the information available is as follows:—Table showing Strength and Deficiency of Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Men in the Special Reserve, and Extra Reserve Battalions of Infantry, on 1st October, 1912:—

Establishment.	Lieut.-Colonels.				Majors.				Captains.
	Establishment.	Strength.	Deficiency.	Surplus.	Establishment.	Strength.	Deficiency.	Surplus.	Establishment.	Strength.	Deficiency.	Surplus.
Special Reserve Battalions	74	73	1	—	74	87	—	13	374	408	—	34
Extra Reserve Battalions.	27	26	1	—	81	61	20	—	162	133	29	—

Establishment		Lieutenants.				2nd Lieutenants.				N.C.O.'s and Men.
		Establishment.	Strength.	Deficiency.	Surplus.	Establishment.	Strength.	Deficiency.	Surplus.	Establishment.	Strength.	Deficit.
Special Reserve Battalions	…	810	276	534	—	592	252	340	—	42,928	34,182	8,746
Extra Reserve Battalions	…	297	105	192	—	216	69	147	—	20,250	12,251	7,999

There are no figures available at the War Office showing the numbers under twenty years of age. As regards the six Line Battalions present at manœuvres, the detailed statistics and cannot therefore be stated.As regards the Artillery Batteries, the information is as follows:—

—		Batteries.		Average No. of Horses per Battery.		Guns per Battery.
		R.H.A.	R.F.A.	R.H.A.	R.F.A.
Present at Manœuvres	…	5	56	114	69	3
War Establishment per Battery	…	—	—	224	172	6

As regards the classification of horses, the annual classification commenced on 1st October. The previous classification for 1911–1912 was completed on 30th September.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he has

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The school, apart from the structure, will be entirely maintained out of public funds.

asked whether, in view of the fact that in Barnoldswick there are 1,729 school places, an average attendance of 1,403, and 1,717 names on the registers, of whom the Roman Catholics claim ninety-five, the right hon. Gentleman will give his consent to the erection of a new school to any religious denomination that can claim to have 5½ per cent, of the total names on the registers?

The figures of the recognised accommodation, average attendance, and numbers on registers at the three existing schools at Barnoldswick for the year ended 30th June, 1912, are 1,549, 1,395, and 1,717, respectively. All proposals to provide new schools are considered on their merits, and I can commit myself to no such principle as is suggested in the question.

asked the right hon. Gentleman to what extent he estimates that this new Roman Catholic elementary school at Barnoldswick will contribute to the economy of the rates and to the efficiency of secular education?

The rates will be relieved of the capital expenditure which would be necessary to provide the school accommodation which will be provided by the new school. On the second point, I have every reason to believe that the school will be efficient, and I have no reason to think the efficiency of the other schools in the area will be impaired.

asked whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that the Reverend S. H. Marshall, Roman Catholic priest of Hebden Bridge, has furnished lists of the names of all the children of Roman Catholic parents in Barnoldswick to the head teachers of the public elementary schools in that area and demanded their withdrawal during the time set apart for religious instruction; whether he will state which Regulation of the Board enables an outside cleric to take such action; and whether he can state how many names those lists contained, how many parents were personally consulted by the Reverend S. H. Marshall, how many of those children are now withdrawn, and how many Roman Catholic children had been withdrawn previous to 18th July, 1912?

At the inquiry held on 18th July it was stated by the Rev. H. Marshall that, with the consent of all the Roman Catholic parents of Barnoldswick, he had given a list of the names of all their children to the head teachers of their various schools and arranged that they should be withdrawn from religious instruction. No exception was taken to this statement. I am informed that, at the time of furnishing the lists referred to, the Rev. H. Marshall was the priest-in-charge of the Barnoldswick Roman Catholic Mission. The Board have made no regulations as to the manner in which parents should exercise their right of withdrawing their children from religious instruction (under Section 7 of the Elementary Education Act, 1870). I have no information as regards the last part of the question. I have received no complaints suggesting that the withdrawal of the children was not in accordance with the wishes of the parents, nor am I at present aware of any grounds which would justify me in making inquiry. Perhaps I may remind the hon. Member that under Section 7 of the Act of 1870 it is provided that it shall be no part of the duties of His Majesty's Inspector to make any inquiry into religious instruction.

asked whether, previous to 18th July, 1912, the West Riding local education authority offered to provide additional public elementary school accommodation at Barnoldswick for 300 children; and whether the right hon. Gentleman has given or withheld his consent?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I have given my consent to the proposal.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will state how many nuns and Christian Brothers who have taken the vow of perpetual poverty are employed as teachers in the public elementary schools in the local education areas of Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Rotherham, Huddersfield, and the West Riding, respectively; and what is the total of the annual salaries paid on their behalf by those respective local education authorities?

I have no information which would enable me to answer this question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will issue a statement showing in detail the amount of the endowed revenue of the Church of England in Wales and its proposed allocation under the Established Church (Wales) Bill?

A detailed statement is in course of preparation, and will be ready in a few days.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, under the Commonwealth Defence Act, 1903–11, military training commences for all boys 12 years of age who are British subjects and of European descent; whether these conscripts are called junior cadets from 12 to 14 years of age, senior cadets from 14 to 18 years of age, and members of the active citizen forces from 18 to 26 years of age; whether under its military regulations no conscript can protest or attend any meeting to protest against the Act, and every conscript has to obtain a military passport before he can remove from one district to another; whether by the end of March, 1912, 10,000 eligible boys had not registered, and 31,000 boys had not made the requisite attendances at drills, as required by the Defence Act, 1911; whether by the end of July, 1912, 5,000 summonses had been issued in New South Wales against boys between 14 and 17 years of age for failing to render the military services demanded, and if he can state how many of these were fined £5 each; whether 9,504 boys 14 years of age had failed to register as conscripts by the end of June, 1912, in South Australia; whether in New Zealand 38 young men had been imprisoned for three weeks with hard labour, have lost their Parliamentary vote, and have become debarred from obtaining Government employment, because they refused to become conscripts; whether at least 13,000 New Zealand youths had failed to register in January, 1912; whether Sir Joseph Ward modified the Defence or Conscription Act immediately upon his return to New Zealand from his visit to the Colonial Conference; whether he ordered all prosecutions to cease forthwith and the youths then in gaol to be released; whether he reduced the age of enrolment for conscription from 25 to 21 years of age in order that no voter would be affected by the Act; whether he will state what is his latest information as to the numbers of boys and youths in New Zealand and Australia who have been proceeded against and fined, imprisoned, or otherwise penalised for refusing to become conscripts or to undergo compulsory military training; whether the male children above the age of 12 years of British immigrants into Australia and New Zealand will henceforth be compelled to become conscripts to those Dominions after a residence there exceeding six months; and whether this boy-conscription policy has been adopted by the Government of the Commonwealth in order to create a white Australia, or to allay apprehensions raised by the scaremongers who foretell an invasion of that continent by Germany, China, or Japan?

The policy and administration of the Commonwealth and New Zealand Defence Acts are matters entirely within the province of the Governments and Parliaments of these self-governing Dominions, and it would not be in accordance with established practice for the Secretary of State for the Colonies to answer questions of a controversial character such as the last part of the question which the hon. Member has placed on the Paper. I am not in a position to verify or correct several of the statements contained in the question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been directed to the probable return of large numbers of native workers to British Colonies which will occur when the Panama Canal is completed; and what steps, if any, are being taken to meet the new conditions that will arise?

All the British West Indian Colonies have been consulted on this subject, and each has replied to the effect that no difficulty is anticipated in dealing with such of its own natives as may return from Panama. British Guiana and British Honduras have reported also that they are in a position to afford openings for agricultural workers who are natives of other West Indian Colonies, and His Majesty's Minister at Panama has been requested to take steps to make this known among British West Indians in the Canal zone.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether an Order has been drafted regulating the admission of persons to workhouses; if so, whether he will communicate the terms of the draft to this House; and whether this House will have an opportunity of discussing it, if it so desires, before the Order is put into force?

I understand that the Departmental Committee appointed to examine the existing Poor Law Orders with a view to their consolidation and amendment contemplate the drafting of an Order dealing with the management of Poor Law institutions and the general duties of officers, but I have not yet received any Report from them on the subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the present position of the case of the Crown rights to the foreshore at Seaview, Isle of Wight; and when it is expected that the ease will be heard in Court?

On the application of the Board of Trade the Court made an Order on 20th July last for the examination de bene esse of old and infirm witnesses. The examination was duly held at Seaview, Isle of Wight, on 7th August, and certain witnesses were examined and cross-examined on behalf of the Crown and the defendants. The depositions of these witnesses have been filed by the Examiner at the King's Remembrancer's Department in accordance with the usual practice. It is not possible for me at present to say when the case is likely to be heard in Court, but subject to a full consideration of the effect of the defendant's documents and the evidence obtained from witnesses and any amendments of the pleadings consequent thereon, I do not anticipate that it will be long before the case is set down for trial.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that, owing to the non-stopping of the up night mail from Cork at Salins, county Kildare, letters for the district within the area of the jurisdiction of the Naas (No. 1) Rural District are taken on to Dublin and sent back by the morning train, with the result that such letters lie at the Naas post-office until the following morning, thus causing a delay of one day in the delivery of the same; and whether, in view of the inconvenience thereby caused to the merchants and people of Ballymore, Eustace, Robertstown, Allen, Clane, Prosperous, Killashee, and other places, he will make such alterations as will remedy the present condition of affairs in the localities affected by recent changes?

I am aware of the circumstances, and am giving the matter careful consideration. I will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as I have been able to arrive at a decision.

asked the Postmaster-General what precautions are taken to ensure that money orders are not cashed by fraudulent persons; and, in the event of the usual precautions not being followed, whether compensation is payable to those who have suffered loss through the miscarriage of money orders sent to them?

At the time a money order is issued an advice, which includes the names of the remitter and the payee, is forwarded to the office of payment. When the order is tendered for payment the paying officer has to see that the receipting signature on the order corresponds with the name advised, and to ask the person who presents the Order for the name of the remitter; and, if either of these requirements is not met, payment has to be refused. If in any case these instructions are overlooked or disregarded, the question is considered of making good the loss as an act of grace.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in compiling the new Telephone Directory, he will arrange that tenants of apartments in flats which have a private internal exchange, and consequently share one Or more numbers in common, shall be permitted to have their names entered in the directory for an annual fee of not more than 5s.

The question raised by the hon. Member cannot be considered as affecting only the occupants of flats. Other cases would have to be taken into account. I shall be glad to give careful consideration to the matter when the rates for telephone service are being revised on the termination of the present arbitration proceedings.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture the total amount expended by the International Council on North Sea fishery investigations and the amount contributed by each country; if he will state whether any international agreement has been arrived at or ever discussed by the said council; if he will state what object there is in having England and Scotland working under separate conditions, and why Ireland is not. also represented; if he will press on the council the necessity of making exhaustive inquiry on the question of trawling in inshore waters, the failure of the herring fishing on the West Coast of Shetland consequent on the destruction of whales; and whether trawling for herrings does or does not destroy vast quantities of immature fish?

The expenditure of the council for the financial year 1911–12, was approximately £4,000. The participating counties make the following contributions to the funds of the council: Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Norway, and Sweden, £260 each; Germany and Great Britain, £l,235 each; Russia with Finland, £l,495. The United States of America, which were represented on the council for the first time this year, will contribute at the same rate as Germany and Great Britain. The work of the council is directed to the acquisition of scientific information with a view to the adoption of practical measures for the protection and development of the fisheries. Much useful information has been acquired as to the plaice fisheries of the North Sea, and the question of the protection of these fisheries by international regulation is now under consideration. Similar investigations are in progress with regard to cod, haddock, and herring, including the effect of trawling upon the herring fisheries. An international arrangement has also been reached for the protection of the fisheries in certain waters against the depredations of seals. The constitution of the council admits of the appointment of two delegates only from each country, but in recent-years the two British delegates have been accompanied by a representative of Ireland in the capacity of an expert. The arrangement by which the investigations undertaken by Great Britain are distributed between the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Scottish Fishery Board was adopted in view of the geographical position of the two countries and the facilities for investigation at the disposal of the two Departments. I do not think that it would be desirable to ask the council to enlarge their programme at the present time, but I will keep the suggestion of my hon. Friend in view.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the Board can yet report as to which agricultural colleges shall be for the higher work and which are to be regarded as farm institutes; and, if so, can he give the names?

The following institutions receive Grants in respect of higher work and are classed as colleges:— Universities and University Colleges—

• University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.
• University College of North Wales, Bangor.
• University of Cambridge.
• University of Leeds.
• Victoria University, Manchester.
• Armstrong College, Newcastle.
• University of Oxford.
• University College, Reading.
• Agricultural Colleges—
• Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.
• Holmes Chapel College of Agriculture and Horticulture.
• Midland Agricultural and Dairy College, Kingston, Derby.
• Harper Adams Agricultural College, Newport, Salop.
• Swanley Horticultural College.
• Uckfield Agricultural and Horticultural College.
• South-Eastern Agricultural College, Wye.

The following institutions are classed as farm schools and institutions:—

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have received a letter dealing with the prevalence of foot-and-mouth disease, and other cattle diseases, in Indian vaccine establishments; and whether the Committee of Inquiry proceeding to India to inquire into foot-and-mouth disease in that country will include in its investigations an inquiry into the origin of the cattle diseases occurring in vaccine establishments and the possibility of such places being sources of foot-and-mouth disease on farms or grazing ground used by the infected animals?

I have received the letter to which the hon. Member refers, but I do not think that the investigation suggested would further the object which I had in view when I appointed the Committee in question.

asked the number of workmen in the Royal parks who receive sick pay for a longer period than six weeks in any one year during the past five years, the number of workmen of over ten years' service who received sick pay for a longer period than) eight weeks, and the averge duration of sick leave for the workmen?

The information required is as under:—

	1907.	1908.	1909.	1910.	1911.
1.	25	30	33	35	32
2.	9	11	14	17	12
3.	20.7	18.1	20.3	25.8	18.2 days.

No. 3 is taken on the average number of days taken by workmen who were actually sick.