ACCIDENT TO CONTRIBUTOR.
asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the attention of the National Health Insurance Commissioners has been drawn to the case of James O. Prewitt, of Alderbury, in the county of Wilts, who claims that he was ruptured in the course of his employment as a platelayer in the service of the London and South-Western Railway Company; that the company dispute his claim for compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Act on the ground that he did not report the injury for three days after its occurrence; that he was found on examination to be suffering, in addition to rupture, from hydrocele, which could have had no connection with the accident; that the Oddfellows, his approved society, on their part dispute his claim to sick benefit, attributing his incapacity to the alleged accident; and whether, seeing that under these circumstances this employed contributor, although during his employment contributions were made by and for him to the National Health Insurance Fund and also by way of premium for insurance against accident, is unable in his present disabled condition to obtain any financial benefit whatever, the Commissioners propose to take any steps to remedy this injustice?
The insured person referred to is entitled, in accordance with Section 67 of the Act of 1911, to appeal against the decision of his society first in accordance with the procedure for arbitration provided for by the society's rules, and ultimately to the Commissioners. Unless the case is so brought before the Commissioners for formal decision on appeal, they have no power to decide whether or not benefit is payable by the society.
Illegal Distraint (Bury v. Farrow).
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer out of what fund the sum of £278 2s. 2d. in the recent ease of Bury v. Farrow and another, tried on 21st and 22nd November, 1913, before Mr. Justice Bankes, was paid by the Treasury as damages and costs as between party and party; and whether it is his intention to pay the remaining costs in the action?
In this case the illegality of the distraint was due, not to the local collector, but to faulty service of notice on the part of the City Commis- sioners of Taxes. In the special circumstances it was decided to pay the damages and costs as between party and party, as well as the proper costs of the defence, out of the Civil Contingencies Fund.
Land Value Duties.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now give instructions for information to be obtained and supplied for the information of the House as soon as possible as to the amounts received up to 31st March last under each head of the Land Value Duties in respect of property in the administrative county of London or, in the alternative, the amounts collected in London?
Since I replied to the right hon. Gentleman on the 12th instant, I have looked further into this matter. I now find that the information for which he asks can only be obtained at the cost of much time and labour, and, having regard to the great pressure of work already existing in the Department concerned, I must ask him not to press his request.
National Education (Ireland).
asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if his attention has been, directed to the finding of the Vice-regal Committee of Inquiry (at page 6 of Committee's Report) that after the lapse of thirteen years a considerable number of alleged grievances of undergraded teachers-are still undetermined; what is the cause of the delay in dealing with these cases, and when will they be decided; how many teachers are still suffering financial loss owing to the change of system in 1900; and what is the total amount now due to these teachers?
My attention has been called to this matter. The Commissioners of National Education inform me that they have not yet considered the report of the recent Vice-regal Committee. The Commissioners are aware, however, that there are "alleged" grievances in regard to salaries fixed for national teachers in 1900, but in the vast majority of these cases which have been submitted to them and which they have carefully investigated, they have found no substantial cause of complaint. In a few cases the Commissioners found that either through errors on the part of the teachers themselves or through a misconception of the rules, they did not receive the full financial benefits which they might claim under the new rules, and the necessary rectifications of payment were made in these cases.
asked the Chief Secretary whether it is proposed to build a national school at a place called Ballyholand, near Newry; whether there is a national school at a place called the Commons, Newry, under Protestant management, with a Protestant as principal teacher and a Roman Catholic assistant; whether the Ballyholand school is to accommodate 150 pupils, thirty-six of whom are at present enrolled in the Commons national school; whether the erection of this proposed school would deprive the minority of the services of a trained second grade teacher and a Roman Catholic assistant; whether objections have been raised by both parents, managers and teachers to the proposed site of the new school; and will he recommend that the proposed new school be built on the site of the old school at Grinan?
The Commissioners of National Education inform me that they have provisionally approved of the erection of a schoolhouse at Ballyholand, county Down, for the accommodation of 130 pupils in mean average attendance. Although this school will replace the existing Grinan national school, it is primarily intended to serve a thickly populated district from which many young children do not go to school at present on account of the distance they would have to travel. The site offered for the proposed now school is one mile distance from the Commons non-vested national school under Protestant management, and having a Protestant principal teacher and a Roman Catholic assistant teacher. Of the children on the rolls of the Commons national school on the 31st December last thirty-four were Roman Catholics. If all these children left the school and were not replaced by others the average attendance would fall below the number required for the continued recognition of the assistant teacher, but there is no reason to anticipate that the number would be reduced so as not to warrant the payment of full-grade salary to the principal. Although these children are included in a list which was furnished by the Board's inspector of Roman Catholic children living within a radius of two miles of the site for the new school, and, consequently, are regarded as possible pupils of that school, it is by no means certain that they will leave the Commons national school for the new school. Moreover, as there are over 240 other children on these lists, it would seem that the new school can be filled without encroaching on the pupils of the Commons national school. From the manager and the principal teacher of the Commons national school the Commissioners have received a joint letter formally objecting to the erection of the new school at Ballyholand because of its proximity to the Commons national school. Objection has also been urged against the erection of the proposed school from persons interested in another school in the district. Having fully considered the inspector's report and the needs of the district for which the new school is intended, the Commissioners decided that the site proposed is in a much more suitable position than that of the existing Grinan school.
Ballinasloe Board of Guardians.
asked the Chief Secretary whether it has been brought to his notice that certain surcharges made by the auditor of the Local Government Board in Ireland on the audit of the accounts of the Ballinasloe Union against certain members of the board of guardians have not been repaid; and if it is the intention of the Local Government Board to take any action as regards these surcharges and other irregularities discovered in the administration of local funds by this board?
In connection with the audit of the accounts of the Ballinasloe Board of Guardians for the half-year ended 31st March, 1913, the only surcharge made by the auditor was one amounting to £1 10s., which was upheld by the Local Government Board on appeal and duly paid. At the recent audit of the accounts for the half-year ended 30th September, 1913, surcharges amounting in all to £9 4s. 9d. were made by the auditor. Appeals have been lodged with the Local Government Board against these surcharges and are at present under consideration.
Admiralty Contract (Fair-Wages Clause).
asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that the firm of J. and E. Hall, engineers, founders, and boilermakers, who are contractors to the Admiralty, are paying the carpenters and joiners employed by them ½d. per hour less than the district rate; that the work they are generally engaged on is extremely disagreeable, namely, filling refrigerating machinery with silicate of cotton, a class of work that is almost always paid for at a higher rate than the standard rate; and whether he will take steps to compel this firm to pay at least the district rate, or otherwise strike them off the list of Admiralty contractors?
Messrs. Hall are carrying out work for the Admiralty. No complaint has been made, but inquiries are being made.
GUAUDS' BANDS AND CIVILIAN MUSICIANS.
asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that Guards' bandsmen are taking the places of civilian musicians who have been locked out by the management of certain music halls and theatres owing to a dispute having arisen with reference to the signing of a new contract containing clauses which the civilian musicians consider most oppressive; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take, with a view to preventing the interference of military bandsmen in a civilian dispute?
If my hon. Friend will send me particulars of the cases to which he refers, I will inquire into the matter.
SPECIAL RESERVE.
asked the Secretary of State for War how many officers were serving in the Special Reserve on 1st January, 1911, exclusive of those who belonged to the Regular Established Army, and who are therefore counted in the numbers of the Regular battalions?
I would refer the hon. and gallant Gentleman to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for North Ayrshire, on the 23rd instant, which contains the information he seeks.
BAYONET MANUFACTURE.
asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that unemployment exists in the bayonet trade, and that skilled men, who have spent the best portion of their lives in that trade, have had to take work as labourers; whether this is due to the cessation of orders to private manufacturers; and whether he can undertake that, in the distribution of coming orders for bayonets, the private firms will be allotted their due share?
asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the fact that no orders for bayonets have been placed at Sheffield during the last two years, when the new orders are given out he will see that a fair share of such orders is given to private firms?
The amount of bayonet work which will be required during the current year, as far as can be foreseen at present, barely suffices to keep a small nucleus of men employed at Enfield. I regret that there is, therefore, no opportunity of placing orders elsewhere.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
asked the President of the Board of Agriculture what was the result of the visit to India of the Committee appointed to inquire into the disease known as foot-and-mouth; and whether he can state why their Report has not appeared before this so as to let the public know what their scientific work found out on the subject?
The preparation of the Report was unavoidably delayed by the long illness of Sir Stewart Stockman last year, but it will be issued very soon.
Lighthouse Keepers (Ireland).
asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received a petition from the lighthouse-keepers in the service of the Commissioners of Irish Lights in reference to an increase of salaries; and whether it has been sympathetically considered?
The petition in question, with similar ones from the light-keepers in the service of the Trinity House and the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses, has formed the subject of consideration by the three General Lighthouse Authorities jointly, and these have submitted proposals to the Board of Trade. I hope to be able to give a decision at an early date.
Steamship "Bridgeport" (Loss).
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will forward immediately on publication to relatives of the men who lost their lives by the foundering of the steamship "Bridgeport," between Sydney and Montreal, the full Report of the inquiry now being held, or about to be held, in Canada into the circumstances surrounding such loss?
As soon as the Report of the inquiry is received from the Canadian authorities, it will be published by the Board of Trade, and a copy will be sent to any person interested who applies for one. If my hon. Friend will supply me with the names and addresses of the relatives of the men who have lost their lives, I will see that copies are sent to them without the necessity of application on their part.