asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will grant the Return asked for by the hon. Member for South West Ham; and if he is aware that a similar Return was granted and ordered to be printed by this House on 28th August, 1907? [Return of all sums payable out of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom in the year 1912–13, in respect of Steamship Subsidies for Foreign and Colonial services.]

The answer to both parts of the question is in the affirmative.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether of the three Wilkensons on Sir John Dillon's estate in Meath only one is the legal occupier, the others, Iris mother and brother, not being tenants; whether the Commissioners are prepared to advance the purchase money for 727 Acres to one man, without satisfying themselves and the public as to the actual tenancies and legal status of the other Wilkensons; and whether there is any penalty against a family for conspiring to get an advance of State money by unwarranted representations?

As I have already informed the hon. Member, this estate has not yet been inspected, and the Estates Commissioners are not in a position, at present, to add to the information already given. Before the advances applied for are made, the Commissioners will satisfy themselves that the parties are entitled to advances under the Land Purchase Acts.

asked the Chief Secretary the number of labourers' cottages built and the number authorised in each of the following unions, Banbridge, Hills-borough and Moira, county Down, and in Killarney and Listowel, county Kerry; the average cost to each union of each cottage built; and the average legal, engineering and miscellaneous expenses per cottage authorised and built in each of those unions?

The following table shows the number of cottages built and authorised in the rural districts (not unions) referred to by the hon. Member up to the 31st March, 1913, the latest date in respect of which the Local Government Board have information available, also the average cost of each cottage in the districts in question having regard to the loans sanctioned and the number of cottages built and authorised in each district:—

Particulars as regards the average legal, engineering, and miscellaneous expenses per cottage are not available in respect of all cottages authorised and built up to date, but the hon. Member will find in column 11 of Parliamentary Return No. 151, 1913, particulars of the expenditure under those heads in respect of the preparation and confirmation of the latest improvement scheme carried out in each district.

asked the Chief Secretary the number and sex-distribution of able-bodied paupers in Ireland on the 31st December, 1911, 1912, and 1913; and if he can give the numbers of those under sixteen and over sixty-five?

The following table compiled from weekly returns furnished by the Clerks of Unions throughout Ireland contains all the information at the disposal of the Local Government Board on the subject of this question:—

asked the Chief Secretary whether the O'Curry College, Carrigaholt, is the only college which has been asked to associate a National Board inspector, with its own professors, in its examinations as a condition of its recognition by the National Board; if not, will he say in the case of how many of the Gaelic colleges this condition has been made and complied with; and what are the names of the colleges which have so complied?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The Commissioners of National Education inform me that the condition referred to has been made and accepted in the case of the undermentioned colleges for the teaching of Irish: Sligo College, county Sligo; Ballinasloe College, county Gal-way; Castlebar College, county Mayo; Caherdaniel College, county Kerry; Glandore College, county Cork; Omeath College, county Louth; and Dublin College, county Dublin. It has also been made and accepted in the case of the Cork branch of the Munster College for the teaching of Irish.

asked the Chief Secretary whether an application has been received from Mrs. Sarah Smith, an evicted tenant, of the Sinclair estate, county Donegal, for reinstatement; and will her claim be considered by the Estates Commissioners when allocating farms in the neighbourhood?

Mrs. Sarah Anne Smith's application for reinstatement has not been noted for consideration by the Estates Commissioners in the allotment of un

tenanted land. It was not lodged within the time prescribed by the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, and she does not come within the class of evicted tenants for whom the Commissioners had power to provide holdings under that Act.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number and cost of the vessels condemned as unfit for war purposes since 1904, when 130 vessels were struck out of the list of vessels suitable for war and were condemned to be broken up or sold out of service?

The information asked for is as follows:—

asked the Secretary of State for War whether seniority and promotion in the Royal Flying Corps go by Army rank or corps rank—that is to say, whether a captain in the Army, ignorant of flying, coming to-day into the Royal Flying Corps, would take rank there above officers junior to him in the Army who have been working in the corps for, say, two years?

Seniority and promotion are based on the grading of officers in the corps. No officer ignorant of flying would be appointed in the Royal Flying Corps, but in the case of technically qualified officers consideration is given to Army rank in making promotions to the various grades.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give the number of men who enlisted in the Special Reserve during the year 1913; and say how many of these men turned over to the Line without doing a training with their Special Reserve battalion?

I assume the hon. and gallant Gentleman is referring to the Infantry only. During 1913, 16,857 men enlisted into the Infantry Special Reserve, and during that period 6,167 joined the Regular Army from the Infantry Special Reserve, but the records do not show how many of the latter figure enlisted in 1913.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to a contract for Stobs Camp, whereby work, for which the contractor was paying 24s. a week last year, is being performed for another contractor this year for 12s. to 14s. per week with longer hours; and whether the Fair-Wages Clause is being duly observed in this case; and, if not, will he take steps to bring the conditions under the present contract into line with the Clause?

If the hon. Member would be good enough to furnish particulars of the contract or service in question, inquiry shall be made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether a Provincial Court Ordinance has been introduced into Nigeria providing for flogging without placing any limitation upon the number of strokes which may be inflicted?

No, Sir. The proposed Provincial Courts Ordinance does not authorise corporal punishment for any offence for which it is not already a lawful punishment, nor does it increase the number of strokes which may be awarded for such offence.

asked what are the crimes for which flogging may be administered under the new Provincial Court Ordinance of Nigeria?

In the Southern Provinces, pending the enactment of a Criminal Code, the law regarding corporal punishment which will be administered by the Provincial Courts is the English law in force on 1st January, 1900, subject to the limitations imposed by Chapter XXX. of the Southern Nigeria Laws. In the Northern Provinces, the Northern Nigeria Criminal Code, Chapter X. of the Laws, governs the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state how many indentured labourers in Trinidad are males above the age of eighteen having, on the 31st December, 1913, completed one year or more of residence; whether he can state how many of these earned during the year the sum of £13 11s. or upwards; and, if not, will he inquire?

I have no information which would enable me to answer either of my hon. Friend's questions, but I will make inquiry of the Governor.

asked the President of the Local Government Board in how many instances in 1912 and 1913 were cases of enteric traced to infection conveyed through milk?

There is no complete information available as to the number of instances, during the two years mentioned, in which cases of enteric fever were traced to infection conveyed through milk. I find, however, that in these two years the medical inspectors of the Local Government Board have investigated four separate outbreaks of enteric fever in which, taken together, infected milk was held to be responsible for, approximately, 200 cases of the disease. In addition, the Medical Officer of Health of Bradford reported an outbreak in 1912 in which about 100 cases were held to have resulted from milk infection. A few other instances, on a smaller scale, in which milk has been suspected have also been brought to notice. For further details I would refer the hon. Member to the paragraphs on this subject on pages xvii.-xix of the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of the Board for last year.

asked the Attorney-General whether he is aware that the Advisory Committee appointed to make recommendations to the Lord Chancellor in connection with the appointment of new magistrates for the county of Glamorgan have passed a formal resolution that solicitors, ministers of religion, and schoolmasters are ineligible for such selection; and, if so, whether it is in the power of the Advisory Committee to place the members of these distinctive communities under such a disability?

The Lord Chancellor is not ware of- any such resolution having been passed.

asked the Attorney-General whether, in view of the length of time that has elapsed since additions were last made to the magistracy of Glamorganshire, and of the increase in the population of the county that has since occurred, steps can be taken to expedite the publication of the list of the new appointments which it is proposed to make?

I will communicate the substance of the question to the Lord Chancellor, and let my hon. Friend know the result.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the cause of the delay in bringing the Cork Post Office revision into effect; and whether he can give the date when it will come into force?

A revision of the indoor postal force at Cork is under consideration. No unavoidable delay has occurred, and the matter will be dealt with as expeditiously as possible; but I am unable to say when the revision will be brought into force.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will give the list of offices which have been reduced in classification since the Report of the Tweedmouth Committee was issued; and whether he will state the present unit value of each of these offices and show separately the cases where a difference in classification exists between the indoor and outdoor staffs?

It is not practicable without incommensurate labour to furnish such a list. The whole system of classification for scales of pay of indoor and outdoor force has been entirely altered since the Tweedmouth Committee reported in 1896.

asked the Postmaster-General the latest unit value credited to Middlesbrough; and whether these figures include telephone units for all trunk and local work in that town?

The latest Return gives the total number of combined postal and telegraph units as 516. Recent figures of telephone units are not available, but in 1911 the combined number of postal, telegraph and telephone trunk units was computed to be 550.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can agree to the allotment of a day for the discussion of the proposals contained in the Report of the Committee on Conditions of Service in the Post Office, presided over by the hon. Member for Hexham?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Prime Minister to a similar question on Monday last.

also asked the Postmaster-General whether he can make an early announcement of his proposals for the better remuneration of sub- postmasters in return for the burden imposed upon them by the National Insurance Act?

As stated in reply to a question on the 4th of March, I should not be justified in sanctioning a higher rate of remuneration for the work in question.

next asked whether, since the year 1900, any postman has been promoted to a sub-postmaster-ship in the city or county of Perth?

The answer is in the negative.

asked to what company the wireless telegraphic station situated at Denton, near Slough, belongs?

I have no knowledge of a wireless telegraph station at a place called Denton, near Slough. Possibly the station to which the hon. Member refers may be an experimental station at Chalvey, near Slough, which is owned by the Anglo-French Wireless Company, Limited.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the number of emigrants who sailed from Scottish ports to places out of Europe during the year 1913, distinguishing those whose last permanent residence was in Scotland, those whose last permanent residence was in the United Kingdom outside Scotland, and those who were aliens, with the corresponding figures of immigration to Scottish ports from places outside Europe during that year, classified similarly as to future permanent residence and showing in each case the difference between emigration and immigration?

The following table gives the information desired:—

There were, in addition, 15,245 British and ninety-five alien emigrants from Scotland who sailed from other ports in the United Kingdom, and 7,175 British and 86 alien immigrants into Scotland who arrived at other ports in the United Kingdom. (Persons who leave the United Kingdom, after residence of twelve months or more, to take up residence for a similar period in non-European countries, are recorded as emigrants, and those who arrive in the United Kingdom from such countries to take up residence for twelve months or more, are recorded as immigrants.) The aggregate numbers of passengers other than emigrants from and immigrants to the United Kingdom, including aliens passing through Scotland, Colonial and foreign visitors arriving or departing, and tourists whose residence was in the United Kingdom, were as follows:—

Passengers embarked at Scottish Ports in 1913 other than Emigrants from the United Kingdom.

Passengers landed at Scottish Ports in 1913 other than Immigrants to the United Kingdom.