asked the Secretary of State for War why a soldier in receipt of a private income of more than £26 a year-has to contribute compulsorily under the National Insurance Act, seeing that by Section 2 of the Act an employed civilian of more than that income is exempted; and whether he will take steps to have this condition in the case of soldiers removed, seeing that the Act deals less favourably with soldiers than with civilians?

It was not thought necessary in framing Clause 46 of the Act to provide special exemption for the extremely small number of soldiers so fortunately circumstanced. The point will be noted for further consideration when opportunity arises.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Law Officers of the Crown in Scotland have given it as their opinion that the owner, part owner, and hirer of a fishing boat, who, in addition to share of profits or catch in respect of labour, receive a share for ownership, do not come under the National Insurance Act, as they are joint adventurers in a fishing venture, while owners and part owners of nets under the same conditions do come under the compulsory provisions, of the Act; why the fishermen who own the nets are not considered joint adventurers in a fishing venture; and if steps can be taken to put all share fishermen upon the same basis?

If a fisherman who brings his own nets is legally in the position of the servant of the owner or hirer of the boat, the Scottish Law Officers have advised that he is properly included within the scope of the Act. The Commissioners have power, however, under Schedule I., Part 2 (k), to exclude share fishermen by special order in certain cases, and they will be prepared to give careful consideration to any application for such an order when it can be shown that the conditions of service approximate closely to a true co-partnership.

asked the amount of credit balances and deposits in Irish joint stock banks in 1893 and 1912, respectively?

The "deposits and cash balances" in joint stock banks in Ireland on 30th June, 1893 and 1912,?were, according to returns furnished by the several joint stock banks in Ireland:—

	£
30th June, 1893	34,637,000
30th June, 1912	57,752,000

asked the amount of savings bank deposits in Ireland in 1893 and 1912, respectively?

The deposits in Post Office and Trustees Savings Banks in Ireland on the 30th June, 1893 and 1912, were:—

—	30th June, 1893.	80th June, 1912.
	£	£
Post Office Savings Bank	4,155.000	12,731.000
Trustees Savings Banks	1,856,000	2,599,000
Total	6,011,000	15,330,000

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the amount of the note issue of the Irish banks?

The hon. Member will find statistics relating to the authorised issue of notes and to the average amount of notes in circulation during the period of four weeks ended 22nd June, 1912, on page 19 of the "Banking, Railway, and Shipping Statistics, Ireland," issued by the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland (Cd. 6,417.

asked whether the Congested Districts Board will make further inquiries into the application made by John M. Sullivan, Baslickane, Waterville, for facilities for building a house on his holding?

The fullest inquiries have been made into this application, and the Congested Districts Board are still willing to make a loan to Sullivan to- wards the cost of erecting a house, on the terms given to tenant purchasers, upon the usual formalities being complied with.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what sums were expended in Ireland during the past financial year out of public moneys on reformatory schools under the management of members of monastic and conventual institutions and upon industrial schools under similar management; what sums were expended on other reformatory schools under Protestant management and under Roman Catholic management, respectively; what sums were expended on other industrial schools under Protestant management and under Roman Catholic management, respectively, distinguishing in each case the sums derived from moneys provided by Parliament and from the rates; whether the accounts of such schools are subject to Government audit; and whether any complaints have been officially received in regard to the feeding, clothing, and washing of the inmates and the diversion of funds from these purposes to others?

The following Return shows the sums expended during the year ended 31st December, 1911:—

	Moneys expended out of the Parliamentary Grants.	Moneys expended out of the Local Rates.
Reformatory Schools—	£	£
Under Protestant Management	1,722	726
Under the Management of members of Monastic and Con-ventual Institutions	7,955	3,786
*Other Reformatory Schools under Catholic Management	—	—
Industrial Schools—
Under Protestant Management	11,186	5,641
Under the Management of members of Monastic and Con-ventual Institutions	81,088	35,496
Other Industrial Schools under Catholic Management	5,657	2,753
* No such Reformatory Schools.

The accounts of reformatory and industrial schools as regards moneys provided by Parliament are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor-General. No complaints have been received in regard to the feeding, clothing, and washing of the inmates, or in regard to the diversion of funds from these purposes to others.

asked on what grounds an old age pension has not yet been granted to Mrs. Honoria O'Neill, Killalan, Caherceveen?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his previous question on this subject on 5th August last. A fresh claim is now before the Local Government Board on appeal.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that rules, forms, and fees under the Rivers Pollution Act, 1876, have been made for the English County Courts, but none in Ireland, and that, as costs in the Irish County Courts are very small and regulated by the amount sued for or recovered, the schedule of County Court costs is wholly inapplicable to proceedings under the Rivers Pollution Act, where the most usual order would be one for the execution of works or an injunction, and where the proceedings would probably be costly; will he call the attention of the Lord Chancellor of Ireland to the fact that while proceedings on the Common Law side of the Court are not within any forms, rules, or costs schedules, the County Courts Act of 1877 does not include proceedings under the Rivers Pollution Act of 1876 in the equitable jurisdiction of the Irish County Courts; and will he ask the Lord Chancellor to consider the advisability of requesting the Rules Committee to adopt rules, forms, and costs schedules on the lines of those framed under the Rivers Pollution Act, 1876, for the English County Courts?

The Lord Chancellor informs me that he will request the Rules Committee of the County Court Judges to consider whether necessity exists for further County Court rules, forms, or schedules of costs, in connection with the Rivers Pollution Act, 1876.

asked the-Chief Secretary if he will give the number of conventual institutions in which renovation classes were conducted during the past year by the science staff of the Board of National Education; will he say what was the total cost of such classes; and whether, during the past year, such classes were held in any and, if so, in how many other schools?

The Commissioners of National Education hold no classes in conventual institutions that could be rightly, described as "renovation classes." During the year 1911 there was one organiser's course in elementary science held in a convent national school. No exceptional expenditure was involved. No-similar courses were held in other national schools during that year.

asked the Chief Secretary whether James Dalton, of Bally-landers, county Limerick, has retired after a period of thirty-seven and a half years-as school teacher; whether, seeing that the rules of the Commissioners of National Education entitle him to a year's salary for every ten years' service and 20 percent, bonus in addition, which would leave-Dalton £291 7s. 6d., whereas he has only received £141 15s., he will say on what grounds he has been denied what he is entitled to according to the rules; and will steps be taken to make good the deficit?

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that Mr. James Dalton, assistant teacher, resigned on the 14th May, 1912, after serving 37½ years. He did not join the pension scheme established under the National School Teachers Act of 1879, and was therefore ineligible for a pension. He could only be awarded a gratuity on his retirement calculated at the rate of one year's salary (old regulations) (augmented by 20 per cent, and also by the amount of the bonus (if any) under the Irish Education Act of 1892). from the Commissioners for ten years' service. The maximum gratuity which Mr. Dalton could thus have been awarded was £157 10s., but in view of his unsatisfactory conduct, a deduction of 10 per cent, was made from the full award and a retiring gratuity of £141 15s. was sanctioned.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why the Is. increase in wages granted to labourers is not being paid to the labourers employed at the Chatham Royal Naval Hospital who are dockyard employés?

Certain details in the application to employés at the Royal Naval Hospitals of the increase in pay referred to are still under consideration, but orders will be promulgated at the earliest possible moment, and will have effect from the 1st August last.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, whether he can now recommend the laying down of four large armoured ships with the view of reestablishing our naval power in the Mediterranean and protecting our food supply, seeing that the Austrian Finance Minister has stated that their new preparations are with a view to throwing their whole weight into the scale when the Balkan question comes up for diplomatic settlement?

Sir, I do not wish to add anything at present to the full statement on these topics made to the House on behalf of the Government in July last.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the firm of J. Ball and Sons, of Cowes, contractors for the erection of the Territorial drill hall, Cowes, are only paying the joiners employed on the work 6d. and 6½d. per hour, the rate in the district being 7d. per hour; and whether he will take steps to enforce the conditions of the Fair-Wages Resolutions in connection with this work?

The contract in question is made under the direction of the County of Southampton Territorial Force Association, to whom I would suggest that the hon. Member should address any representations he thinks right to make. The War Office is not a party to the contract, nor is the contractor upon the War Office list.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether any alteration has been made in the system whereby horse-rugs have to be provided by the officers of mounted units in the Regular Army for the horses of their units?

The matter of the provision of horse-rugs is at the present moment under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he was aware that inconvenience and discomfort were caused to troops on the march during the late manœuvres by motor-cars passing them at a high rate of speed and causing much dust, and whether he can impose a speed limit on any motors which pass troops on manœuvres?

Cases occurred at the late manœuvres of inconvenience and discomfort being caused to the troops by motor-cars passing them at a high rate of speed and covering them with dust. The existing Manœuvre Acts do not enable the authorities to impose any speed limits on motor-cars, and it may be necessary, for this and other reasons, in future to enforce more rigidly the powers for closing roads at manœuvres.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the posting in the streets of Tralee, on the 15th September last, of a printed address urging Irishmen not to enlist in the British Army or Navy or Royal Irish Constabulary, on the ground that enlisting gives strength to the foreigners (British) who rule the country, and that refraining would so weaken England's forces that the union with Great Britain, which is described as infamous in the poster, could not be maintained; and whether he proposes to take any and what steps in the matter?

I have no knowledge of the incident mentioned.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused to the public by reason of disorganisation and dissatisfaction existing in the various departments of the Post Office; whether he is aware that this disorganisation and dissatisfaction have been, and are, on the increase; and whether he will make such arranegments as will enable the Postmaster-General to give his undivided attention to the defects and dissatisfaction existing in his Department with a view to their remedy by relieving him of such employment as working out the financial relations between Great Britain and Ireland under the Government of Ireland Bill?

The answer to each branch of the question is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the owners of the s.s. "Titanic" have repudiated liability to make compensation to the representatives of steerage passengers who lost their lives when that ship foundered; whether he is aware that, by clause 7 of the Board of Trade Regulations governing the issue of steerage passengers' tickets, it is provided that a contract ticket shall not contain on the face thereof any condition, stipulation, or exception not contained in this form; and whether, by reason of the fact that the tickets issued by the owners of the "Titanic" contained a clause on the back thereof exempting them from liability to passengers for loss, he is prepared to revise clause 7 by deleting therefrom the words on the face thereof?

Before considering the desirability of deleting the words "on the face thereof" from the steerage passenger contract ticket, I should require to be satisfied that owing to the presence of those words on the ticket, a shipowner can I legally escape the liability referred to.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total exports and imports, respectively, for the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, France, Belgium, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa for 1900 and 1911, together with the actual and percentage increase during that period?

The following statement shows the value of the "special" trade of the countries and Dominions specified, in 1900 and 1911, wherever the information is available. In the case of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, total imports are given, the values of the "special" imports into these Dominions in 1911 not being available. The figures relating to the trade of France and of Australia in 1911 are provisional only:—

Country or Dominion.		Imports.				Exports.
		1900.	1911.	Increase of 1911 over 1900.		1900.	1911.	Increase of 1911 over 1900.
		Million £s.	Million £s.	Million £s.	Per Cent.	Million £s.	Million £s.	Million £s.	Per Cent.
United Kingdom	…	459.9*	577.4*	117.5	26	291.2	454.1	162.9	56
Germany	…	283.5	477.2	193.7	68	226.7	398.5	171.8	76
United States	…	167.5*	312.3*	144.8	86	302.7	428.8	126.1	42
France	…	187.9	326.4	138.5	74	164.3	246.9	82.6	50
Belgium	…	88.6	172.5	83.9	95	76.9	141.4	64.5	84
Dominion of Canada	…	36.4	107.2	71.8	203	31 5	54.9	23.4	74
Commonwealth of Australia	…	42.3	65.0	22.7	54	30.2†	65.1‡	†	†
Dominion of New Zealand	…	10.2	18.8	8.6	84	11.6	16.8	5.2	45
British South Africa	…	23.1†	38.4	†	†	7.3†	20.1	†	†

Note —All the above figures relate to imports and exports of merchandise only.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that dissatisfaction exists among the telegraphists in the Liverpool post office in consequence of senior men being superseded and passed over by their juniors when vacancies occur in the higher class; whether men as low on the seniority list as Nos. 81, 88, 95, and 93 have been promoted over their seniors, and, if so, what, is the reason for the same; whether he is aware that the majority of the staff in Liverpool are under the impression that favouritism and nepotism are the causes of juniors being promoted over the heads of their seniors; whether be is aware that several of the men who

The promotions on the telegraph side at Liverpool to which the hon. Member refers have been made solely with a view to the efficiency of the service, and no other consideration has entered into the matter. It was a matter of regret to me to pass over so many senior officers, but I could not regard any of them as possessing the necessary qualifications for promotion in so high a degree as the officers selected. The question of promotion in the Post Office service has been raised before the SelectCommittee, and I am not prepared to agree to the appointment of an independent Commission to inquire into the grievances of the Liverpool telegraphists.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the disorganisation existing in the sorting departments of the Post Office in London and elsewhere resulting in inconvenience to the public through delay in delivery of letters; whether he is aware that the delivery of express letters, for which an extra charge is made, is at times worse than the ordinary postal delivery, and that no satisfaction can be obtained from the Post Office for the inconvenience caused thereby; whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction which exists among the public with the telephone service, more particularly the trunk lines; whether such disorganisation and inconvenience are caused by the dissatisfaction of Post Office employés arising through the insufficient number employed and dissatisfaction in connection with the methods of promotion; whether he is aware that this inconvenience and dissatisfaction has considerably increased since the removal of the late Postmaster-General to the Board of Trade; and whether he proposes to give these evils his immediate attention with a view to remedying the same?

The answer to each part of the question is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he can give the names of the local authorities in Scotland who have imposed restrictions upon the movement into their areas of Irish store cattle?

All the county local authorities in Scotland, with the exception of those for Ayr, Clackmannan, Inverness, Kinross, Sutherland, and Zetland, and a few of the burgh authorities, have made regulations prohibiting the introduction of Irish store stock into their respective areas.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he has received any communication from the port authority or the Corporation of Glasgow relative to the restrictions imposed upon the importation into Glasgow of Irish store cattle; and, if so, what is the nature of the communication?

Yes, Sir, I have received a communication from the Glasgow local authority. They are now willing to consider the question of the provision of accommodation for the landing of Irish store stock under the conditions prescribed in the case of Birkenhead and Deptford, and I have instructed an inspector to confer with them at once on the subject.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) why, in view of the fact that there has been no outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Scotland during the last four years, the remaining restrictions against the importation of Scottish cattle into Ireland are maintained?

The Department are prepared to entertain applications for permits to import cattle into Ireland from Scotland. An Order allowing sheep from Scotland to be imported on certain conditions came into operation on the 7th instant. Notice of these concessions was sent to the Press about a fortnight ago.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) how many outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease there have been in Ireland since 1st June of this year; what number of animals have been affected and the number destroyed; and what sum of money has been paid or is due for compensation?

There were thirty-one outbreaks; 263 animals were affected; 2,764 animals were slaughtered. The net amount of compensation paid, or due, is £15,847.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the fact that the expenditure of the International Council on North Sea Fishery Investigations was for the past year upwards of £5,000, he will state the amount expended by the English and Scotch Commissions, respectively, over and above the said sum of £5,000, and also the total amount expended by the United Kingdom on the investigations which have taken place since operations-were first commenced ten years ago?

The expenditure of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries was in the year 1911–12 £7,307. I am not able to give the expenditure of the Scottish Fishery Board for that year. In the previous year the expenditure of the English Board was £8,115, and that of the Scottish Board £5,624. The total expenditure of the United Kingdom from the year 1902–3 up to the end of the year 1910–11, the latest year for which I have complete information, was £114,837.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether, with reference to his reply last Session that the Government would not at present set back the wall of the St. James's Palace garden in Marlborough Gate, in the meantime he will cause to be made a footway along the side of the wall on the west side for the safety of pedestrians, which would still leave the roadway for vehicular traffic as wide at the south end as it is at the north end of Marlborough Gate Road?

The First Commissioner has given this matter his careful consideration, but, inasmuch as the bulk of the traffic flows from Marlborough Gate towards Buckingham Gate, a footway along the west wall would not in his opinion, add to the safety of pedestrians, and he sees no reason, therefore, for the present to alter the view expressed in his answer to the hon. Member on the 23rd November last.