asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will inquire into the delay in paying sickness benefit to Thomas Hartnett, Killorglin, who was insured in the United National Approved Society, Glasgow; whether Mr. Hartnett has now been ill for twenty-six weeks, and has only been paid £4 10s.; whether P. Murphy, Tinehaly, Killorglin, is also insured in the same society and cannot get his insurance benefits; and whether strict inquiries will be made regarding this society and its treatment of insured persons?

My right hon. Friend is informed that in the first case referred to delay in payment of benefit was caused by the difficulty of obtaining evidence of incapacity, but that the claim has now been met in respect of the period for which such evidence is available. The society have dealt with the claim in the second case referred to. In reply to the last part of the question, I may say that the Commissioners are anxious to co-operate with all approved Societies in the proper administration of the Acts.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury how many persons in the latest year for which figures are available were assessed for the purpose of Super-tax at the sum of £250,000 or over?

I am afraid that I can not undertake to classify in separate divisions incomes exceeding £100,000 per annum. The aggregate number of persons assessed to Super-tax in respect of an income exceeding £100,000, according to the latest figures available, is sixty-six.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can now announce the result of his consideration of the memorial of certain assistant surveyors of taxes; and, if not, when his announcement will be made?

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to announce the result shortly.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in view of the repeated applications made, the Congested Districts Board will now undertake the construction of a boat slip on the south side of Cahirciveen quay, so that the fishing industry may be properly developed in this important centre?

The Congested Districts Board are not prepared to undertake the construction of a slip at Cahirciveen quay. They have offered to contribute half the cost, not exceeding £70, of constructing the slip provided the county council carry out the work, and they have decided that they will not increase that offer.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he will have inquiry made into the claim for reinstatement made by Jeremiah Sullivan, an evicted tenant, whose holding was at Fermoyle, on the Sugrue estate, near Cahirciveen; and when the claim will be dealt with?

The Estates Commissioners have inquired into the application received from John O'Sullivan for reinstatement in a holding on this estate at one time in his occupation. It is now in the occupation of other tenants with whom the Commissioners have no power to interfere, and they are not prepared to provide him with a farm in addition to the one of which he is at present in occupation.

asked when the purchase of the estate of Mrs. Trent, Stoughton, near Waterville, will be completed, seeing that purchase agreements were signed in May, 1906, and that interest on the purchase money is still being paid by the tenants?

The Estates Commissioners hope to be in a position at an early date to vest the greater number of the holdings on this estate in the purchasing tenants in accordance with the purchase agreements signed by them. They understand that the owner is in communication with the Congested Districts Board as regards the holdings on the townlands of Kilmackerrin East and West, which the Commissioners have refused to include in the direct sale proceedings before them.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Miller and the other estates in the Carraroe district of Connemara have yet been acquired by the Congested Districts Board; and, if not, will he urge on the Board the necessity of their acquiring those estates without further delay, in order to bring some relief to the poor tenants of this district?

The Congested Districts Board have agreed to purchase the estate of Mrs. Miller in the Carraroe district. It is not known to what other estates the, question refers.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board have yet acquired the estates in the Lettermore district of South Connemara where a few years ago the people were so afflicted with poverty and disease brought on by poverty and wretched insanitary homes that the charitable public had to be appealed to for relief; and whether he will urge upon the Congested Districts Board the urgency of bringing permanent relief to these poor victims of landlordism?

The Congested Districts Board have acquired the Berridge estate, which is partly situate in the district referred to. Negotiations for the purchase of two other estates in the same neighbourhood are proceeding.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will inform the House of the result of the inquiry into the murder of Thomas Harten, free labourer, during the syndicalist strike in Dublin, on the 17th January?

The three men charged with the murder of this man have been returned for trial in custody to the next City Commission which opens on the 2nd April.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware of the position in which the third grade dockyard clerks, who were formerly first-class writers, are placed as a result of Admiralty letter, dated 3rd December, 1912, C.E. 700, whereby they are receiving lower salaries than many of their colleagues with shorter service; and whether he will take the necessary steps to place the former first-class writers on the maximum pay of their present grade as and from the 1st January, 1913?

I cannot say more at present than that the question is under consideration.

asked the Secretary for War whether it is proposed to bring back the two Cavalry regiments from South Africa to this country; and, if so, when such a step will be taken or, if not, whether either of them will shortly be relieved from India?

The programme of intended reliefs for the year 1914–15 was published in Army Order 31 of this year. It is not possible at present to add anything to what is there stated.

asked the Secretary for War if the figures published in the General Annual Report on the British Army published in 1913, page 125, are correct in showing that 114,621 noncommissioned officers and men of the Territorial Force were due to become time-expired between 1st October, 1912 and 30th September, 1913; and if he will give the number of men out of this total of 114,621 who have taken their discharge, or have re-engaged for a further period of one year, or for a period of two years and over, respectively?

The number is correct; and out of this total 62,978 took their discharge, whilst 37,579 re-engaged for a year and 9,060 for two years or over.

also asked the Secretary for War if he will give the establishment of the Regular Army, of the Special Reserve, and of the Territorial Army on the 1st January, 1914, as well as their respective strengths?

My hon. Friend gave the hon. Member this information yesterday as regards the Regular Army. The establishment of the Special Reserve is 78,714, and the strength on 1st January, 1914, was 63,089. The corresponding figures for the Territorial Force are 312,400 and 249,185.

further asked the number of men serving in the Territorial Force on the 1st January, 1914, who were serving under a one, two, three, or four years' engagement?

This information is not available, but the Table on page 129 of the General Annual Report shows the number of men whose unexpired service on 1st October, 1913, was under one year, over one year and under two years, over two years and under three years, and over three years, respectively.

next asked the numbers of non-commissioned officers and men serving in the Territorial Force on the 1st January, 1914, who were under 17, 18, 19, and 20 years of age, respectively?

The hon. Gentleman will find this information on page 127 of the Annual Return of the Territorial Force, which has now been issued.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give the numbers, respectively, of non-commissioned officers and men in the Territorial Force, exclusive of the permanent staff, who fired the standard test, were exempt from a musketry course, failed in the standard test, failed in the standard test but qualified in accordance with paragraph 361 (2), Territorial Force Regulations, commenced the musketry course but did not complete it, did not commence the musketry course, and the number of recruits who classified under paragraph 361 (3), Territorial Force Regulations?

The number who fired the standard test was 164,711. There were 7,224 exempt. Seventeen thousand and eighty-five failed in the standard test, and 8,412 recruits qualified in accordance with paragraph 361 (2) and (3), Territorial Force Regulations, and 7,147 trained men in accordance with paragraph 361 (2). The number not tested was 11,176. The number of those who commenced the standard test and did not complete it would be few, and is not recorded.

asked the Home Secretary whether Mrs. Lily Lewis Rood, who was convicted at the Central Criminal Court on 10th February last on a charge of sending improper letters through the post, sentence being postponed for the state of her mind to be inquired into, has been certified as insane; if so, on what date and by whom, and where is she now detained; and what report was made by the medical officers as to her mental condition?

This prisoner was certified insane under the provisions of the Criminal Lunatics Act, 1884, on the 28th February, by two medical men and two magistrates, and was accordingly removed to Manor Asylum at Epsom, where she now is. A report received from the medical officer of Holloway Prison was to the effect that she is of unsound mind.

asked the Secretary for the Colonies whether, having regard to the responsible position of the Imperial Institute in connection with the Dominions, and to the official statements made when it was founded, as to the urgent need of a large central institution to show off in a popular manner the various specialities and products, together with the openings and advantages attending Colonial life, the time has arrived to appoint guide demonstrators to give short lectures, to make known and interpret to the fullest extent the capabilities of the institution in the same manner as has proved so successful in the British and other museums during the past two years?

I have given this question very careful consideration. The funds at the disposal of the Imperial Institute are limited, and in view of other and more urgent demands upon those funds I regret that I have not so far felt justified in sanctioning the expenditure which the appointment of guide demonstrators would necessitate.

asked the Secretary for the Colonies whether he is yet in a position to give any information with regard to the recent reported fighting between two native tribes within our frontier in East Africa?

The Governor of the East African Protectorate informs me that the officer in charge of the Northern Frontier district reported last December that there had been raiding and counter-raiding between the Rendile and Boran, but gave no particulars. Further inquiry is being made, but in view of the remoteness and uncivilised nature of the country it is probable that a considerable time must elapse before details come to hand.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that cattle affected with foot-and-mouth disease are constantly in the quarantine lairs at Malta, and that hundreds of bags containing seed potatoes from Ireland are practically in contact with these animals; whether he is aware that the potato bags are subsequently put on battleships with other bags that may have brought produce from disease-affected countries, and thus convey contagion to England and Ireland; and whether he will cause inquiries to be made and, if necessary, make an Order providing for the disinfection of these potato bags before they are returned to any port in the United Kingdom?

Inquiries have been made both by the Board and also, I understand, by the Irish Department respecting the possibility of infection being introduced into the United Kingdom in the manner suggested by my hon. Friend. So far as Great Britain is concerned, I have not up to the present been able to discover that any potato bags from Malta find their way back to this country, but I am making further inquiries, and, if necessary, steps will certainly be taken to prevent this possible source of infection.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the fact that no further outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has occurred in the Newcastle district since 18th February, and also that much hardship is being caused to farmers, dealers, and butchers owing to the Newcastle market being closed, he will now allow the market to be reopened for stock being taken direct to the slaughter-house?

An Order was issued by the Board on the 4th March and came into operation on Friday last, allowing a market to be held in Newcastle for animals intended for immediate slaughter on premises within the scheduled area.

asked the Attorney-General whether the Order for the separation of the chapelry of Barleston from the parish of Market Bosworth has now been completed?

The Order was made by His Majesty in Council on the 9th instant.

asked the President of the Local Government Board in how many cases in 1912 and in 1913 was meat imported from the Argentine found to be tuberculous?

I have no complete information on this question, but I may state that early in 1912 the medical officer of health of the City of London began to report the occurrence of tuberculosis in Argentine beef examined in the Central Markets, and, according to information supplied by him, it appears that during 1912, out of a total of 140,179 tons of Argentine beef received in Smithfield Market, 43 hindquarters, 8 forequarters and 25 other portions were found tuberculous. In 1913 out of a total of 154,503 tons 27 hindquarters and 10 forequarters were found to be affected with tubercle.

In May, 1912 the medical officers of health of the principal meat importing ports were asked to report any cases in which they discovered tubercle in any of the Argentine beef received at their ports. No such discovery has yet been reported. As a consequence of the reports received from the medical officer of health of the City, representations were made in the middle of 1912 by the Board, through the Foreign Office, to the Argentine Government, with a result that the staff of inspectors in the Argentine was increased and made more efficient.

asked the President of the-Local Government Board whether he is aware that in his annual summary of deaths, etc., for the year 1912, the Registrar-General records the number of deaths from small-pox as having been ten. whereas the medical officer's supplement to the Forty-Second Annual Report of the Board gives the number as having been eight; and, having regard to this discrepancy, will he state which figure is correct?

:The difference between the figures was noted before the issue of the medical officer's annual report, and results from the facts—(1) that in one case provisionally included in the Registrar-General's annual summary on the facts then before him, the cause of death on inquiry was ascertained to be heart disease, and will be so returned in the Registrar-General's Annual Report for 1912, which takes account of necessary corrections; (2) that in another case when death was certified by a medical practitioner to have been due to smallpox, it appeared that the practitioner had consulted on the diagnosis with the medical officer of health of the district, who reported that in his opinion there was no evidence that the case was small-pox, and accordingly excluded it from the returns of notified cases which he made to the Local Government Board. On review of the facts given, it seemed improbable that the case was one of small-pox.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, having regard to the proposed reorganisation of the-staff of the General Register and Record Office of Shipping and Seamen, he will now invite the Treasury to sanction, in connection with the proposals under con- sideration, the retirement of clerks at the age of sixty, or as soon afterwards as they have served forty years, with a view to affording promotion to the younger clerks at an appropriate age, and to securing greater efficiency and economy in that office?

The general rule throughout the Board of Trade is that officers have the option of retiring at sixty, and are obliged to retire on reaching sixty-five. I do not know of any ground for proposing that exceptional treatment as to age of retirement should be applied to the staff of the General Register and Record Office of Shipping and Seamen.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what limit, if any, there is to the time a liquidator and solicitor of the affairs of a defaulting company may keep the matter nominally under the jurisdiction of a Court; whether they may do this until they themselves have appropriated, under the name of charges, almost the entire property; if the Board has no power to prevent this abuse, whether it will apply to Parliament for power; if he will ascertain and state the amount so appropriated by the liquidator and solicitor, respectively, of the affairs of the Irish Provident Assurance Company; the gross amount distributed by them; their explanation of the delay; and when they will consent to make a final distribution?

As the hon. Member has been informed on several previous occasions, the liquidation of the Irish Provident Assurance Company, Limited, is under the control of the Irish Court. The Irish Court alone has jurisdiction in the matter, and there are no official facts or; figures relating to the liquidation in the possession of the Board of Trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; whether he is aware that the Common- wealth Government of Australia would be willing to consider the question of taking over the New Hebrides; and whether he will take counsel with the Secretary of State for the Colonies with a view of approaching the Commonwealth Government in this respect?

I would refer the hon. Member to my replies to his questions on the 3rd instant. There is, as I have said, no question of the acquisition of the rights held by a foreign Power under the Condominium; but, if any question of this kind arose, His Majesty's Government would not fail to act in consultation with the Commonwealth Government, with whom they have been in close touch with regard to the situation in the New Hebrides.

asked the Postmaster-General if, in view of his assurance that the returns of work at the Newport (Isle of Wight) Post Office would be taken from time to time with a view to ascertaining if the requisite number of units had been reached to take this office into a higher class, he will now consider the reclassification of such office, especially bearing in mind that in 1908, when the last return was taken, the office was only a few units under the requisite number required for a higher class, and since that date the work has increased to a considerable extent owing to the work in connection with the National Insurance and Old Age Pensions Acts and the taking over of the National Telephone Company's system, to say nothing of the increase of the general work?

My right hon. Friend has had further returns taken of the units of work at Newport (Isle of Wight), as a result of which he is satisfied that the requisite number of units for Class IV. scales of pay has been reached, and he proposes accordingly to raise the classification of the office as from the 1st November last. The outdoor force, being already placed exceptionally in Class III., will not be affected by the change.