asked the Secretary to the Treasury if Custom House officers are rendering assistance at Dartmouth to the coal shipping companies in connection with a trade dispute between the said companies and their coal lumpers by boarding steamers outside the river and informing the captains of the steamers of a dispute and influencing them to divert their steamers to other ports; and, if so, will he caution the Custom House officers referred to against taking any part in connection with trade disputes, either on one side or the other?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative; the second part, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland the number of holdings vested in purchasers in Ireland in the twelve months ending 31st October each year since the Land Act of 1903 came into operation?

The number of holdings vested in purchasers under the Land Pur- chase Acts during each year ending 31st October, since the passing of the Act of 1903 is:—

Year ended 31st October, 1904 … 7,137 Year ended 31st October, 1905 … 8,536 Year ended 31st October, 1906 … 15,891 Year ended 31st October, 1907 … 12,390 Year ended 31st October, 1908 … 15,275 Year ended 31st October, 1909 … 15,782 Year ended 31st October, 1910 … 15,592 Year ended 31st October, 1911 … 25,587 Year ended 31st October, 1912 … 23,957 Year ended 31st October, 1913 … 20,861 Total … 161,008

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will ascertain and state the balances shown in Tables A, B, and C of Form 24, under the Public Bodies Order, 1904, to the credit of the Westmeath county at large and the several unions and district councils in the county on the 31st March last and on the 31st I March and 30th September, respectively, of each of the preceding three years?

The following statement shows the balances on accounts of County Council of Westmeath, and of unions and rural districts situate in the county, at the undermentioned dates, to nearest £:—

Name of Authority. Year, 1910–11. Year, 1911–12. Year, 1912–13. September. March. September. March. September. March. £ £ £ £ £ £ Westmeath County, Table A Cr. 12,414 Cr. 10,581 Cr. 11,216 Cr. 9,712 Cr. 9,023 Cr. 6,186 Unions, Table B— Athlone … … Cr. 2,022 Cr. 2,127 Cr. 2,239 Cr. 2,347 Cr. 2,384 Cr. 2,251 Ballymahon … … Cr. 838 Cr. 849 Cr. 886 Cr. 921 Cr. 946 Cr. 910 Delvin … … Cr. 2,044 Cr. 2,050 Cr. 2,159 Cr. 2,261 Cr. 2,356 Cr. 2,251 Granard … … Cr. 811 Cr. 881 Cr. 930 Cr. 962 Cr. 1,012 Cr. 968 Mullingar … … Cr. 6,804 Cr. 7,075 Cr. 7,352 Cr. 7,524 Cr. 7,848 Cr. 7,617 Tullamore … … Cr. 698 Cr. 728 Cr. 758 Cr. 783 Cr. 805 Cr. 784 Rural Districts, Table C— Athlone, No. 1 … … Dr. 646 Dr. 8 Dr. 224 Cr. 592 Dr. 131 Cr. 294 Ballymore … … Dr. 9 Cr. 35 Dr. 13 Cr. 96 Dr. 60 Cr. 29 Delvin … … Cr. 919 Cr. 883 Cr. 974 Cr. 1,568 Cr. 1,310 Cr. 1,304 Coole … … Dr. 50 Cr. 100 Cr. 127 Cr. 303 Cr. 284 Cr. 328 Mullingar … … Cr. 1,469 Cr. 1,962 Cr. 1,827 Cr. 1,340 Cr. 986 Cr. 1,391 Kilbeggan … … Cr. 35 Cr. 25 Cr. 130 Cr. 318 Cr. 476 Cr. 485

The figures for September, 1913, and March, 1914, are not yet available. Those for the former half-year are under audit, and those for the latter have not yet been furnished to the Local Government Board.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether the meetings of the Scottish Departmental Committee on North Sea Fisheries were held in private, or whether any members of the general public or officials, other than members of the Committee, were admitted during the taking of evidence or at any other time?

In accordance with the practice of most Departmental Committees, the meetings were held in private.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether an inspector of the Board held an inquiry at Warmley, Gloucestershire, into the proposed construction of a sewage drain for the civil parish of Syston, in January, 1913; whether property owners and school managers attended that inquiry to object to the proposal unless an undertaking was given that that section of the work between Warmley railway station and Bridgegate should be laid as soon as the remainder was completed; whether the inspector thereupon asked the chairman of the parochial committee if that condition was agreed to and was answered in the affirmative; whether the rest of the drain has long been laid, but the council

decline to proceed with the section referred to; and, if these facts are correct, will he exert his influence with the council to get the undertaking which was given carried out forthwith?

I have been in communication with the clerk, and am informed by him that the Warmley Rural District Council have heavy claims before them for compensation in respect of the portion of the sewers completed, and that they think they would not be acting justly to the ratepayers if they proceeded with the other portion until they have settled their financial responsibility in respect of the first portion. I am given to understand that, when this has been settled, the council will give their attention to the remainder. I will see that the matter is not lost sight of.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he will consider the adoption of a standard of 0.5 per cent. in the use of boracic acid in cream as a preservative?

I may refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to questions by the hon. Member for the Bassetlaw Division on the 14th ultimo.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the minimum and maximum rates of pay for sergeants and constables in the case of the following police authorities: Metropolitan Police, City of London, Liverpool, Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Glasgow; and if he will state m each case whether these rates apply to all men in the force or only to those possessing a certain number of years' service?

The minimum and maximum rates of pay for sergeants and constables in the forces named are as follows:—

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the result of his inquiry into the case of the taxi-cab driver, named Morgan, who was committed for trial on a charge of manslaughter, found not guilty, received his licence back and returned to work, but was informed a few weeks later by the authorities of Scotland Yard that his licence had been cancelled?

I have consulted the judge and the Commissioner of Police, and I agree that the latter is not in a position at present to certify Morgan to be a fit and proper person to be licensed as a motor-cab driver. If Morgan will make an application within twelve months from the date of cancellation of his licence, the Commissioner, as the licensing authority, will be prepared to consider his application.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many elementary schools in the area of the Liverpool local education authority have been opened since the passing of the Education Act, 1891, in which fees have been authorised to be charged; and whether he will state the names of these schools, and give for each school the total amount of fees for the last financial year charged, the number of children paying fees, and the amount of fees paid over to the local authority in relief of rates?

Since the passing of the Elementary Education Act, 1891, twelve public elementary schools in the area of the Liverpool local education authority have been opened in which fees have been authorised to be charged. One of these schools became free in 1906. I append a table giving the names of the schools, the amount of fees charged for the last statistical year, and the number of children paying fees:—

LIVERPOOL. Name of School. Amount of Fees. Number of Children Paying. £ s. d. Garston, Grassendale Victoria Higher Grade Church of England 55 18 9 133 Garston, Sudley Road Temporary Council 140 13 5 451 Toxteth Park, Sefton Park Council 218 19 5 738 Toxteth Park, Sefton Park Church of England. 212 4 10 286 Walton, Gwladys Street Council. 25 13 1 143 Walton, Longmore Lane Council 380 16 11 1,420 Wavertree, Dovedale Road Temporary Council 183 10 8 532 Wavertree, Lawrence Road Council 563 12 4 1,669 Wavertree, Morrison Council 401 8 9 1,179 West Derby, Birchfield Road Council 339 17 11 1,057 West Derby, Lister Drive Council 437 9 11 1,311 West Derby, Rathbone Council 318 17 0 979

I regret that I am unable to state the amount of fees retained by the local education authority for the relief of the rates in respect of individual schools.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will give the names of the rural districts in which, as the result of formal complaints under Section 10 of The Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, or of inspections by the Board's officers the councils had, prior to the 1st January last, been urged by the Board to build houses under Part III. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, and have not yet agreed to do so; and whether, as regards cases of formal complaints, a mandamus has been applied for in any instance; and, if so, with what result?

The names of the rural districts are: Brackley, Bridport, Buckingham, Chesterfield, Chipping Sod-bury, Dwyran, Guildford, Halstead, Hols-worthy, Mitford, and Launditch, Reigate, St. Dogmells, Shipston-on-Stour, Thingoe, and Wimborne and Cranborne. These are exclusive of the rural districts of Belvoir, Crick, Dulverton, Dunmow, East Dean and United Parishes, East Preston,

Great Ouseburn, Hartley Wintney, Haverfordwest, Newbury, Wallingford, Wisbech, and Wrexham, in which cases the district councils, although they have not actually agreed to build, have stated that they are negotiating for or endeavouring to obtain sites, or that they are proceeding with the preparation of schemes. There are other cases in which local authorities have

not agreed to build to the extent urged by the Board, but have agreed to build a certain number of houses. Wrexham is the only case in which the Board prior to 1st January, 1914, and as a result of a formal complaint under Section 10 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, urged the local authority to build, and in which action or a promise of action has not been secured. It has not yet been thought necessary to make an order in that case declaring the district council to be in default in the matter. In the Reigate and Buckingham cases above mentioned, the councils were urged to build as the result of inspections, but formal complaints under Section 10 have been since received, and since 1st January, 1914, the local authorities have been again urged to build. The only case in which a default order has been issued is that of the Gwyrfai rural district (parish of Llanddeniolen), and I understand that the council of this district have recently resolved to purchase land and proceed with the preparation of a scheme. I trust, therefore, that no question of an application for a writ of mandamus will arise in that case.

asked the right hon. Member for the Epping Divi- sion, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, if he will state what the wages bill as administered by the Kitchen Committee has been for the years 1901 and 1902 and 1912 and 1913, giving the number employed on the staff for the last year of each decade, with the average wage paid to waiters employed permanently for the four years already named?

The reply is as follows:—

Refreshment Department, House of Commons. Comparison of Wages Bills.

Year. £ s. d. 1901. Short Session 4,456 2 10 1902. Coronation. £ 191 6 6 Autumn Session 5,563 3 7 5,754 10 1 1912. Autumn Session 6,061 13 6 1913. Short Session 5,637 19 2 In 1902 the staff numbered 79. In 1912 the staff numbered 95.

Of these (including the Press Gallery) sixteen only are waiters, they are supplemented each evening at six o'clock by "extra waiters," the number of which varies from thirty to sixty, according to the business anticipated and the number of dinners downstairs on order.

There are no waiters employed permanently, the only waiters whose services are retained are the head waiters and smoking-room Waiters; others are dismissed at the end of each Session.

Their applications for employment are given preference over others when engagements are made for the ensuing Session, and some of them have been in our employ a number of Sessions.

Waiters are paid an average wage of 20s. per week, with food and beer or minerals four times a day.

The hours of duty are from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with intervals for rest, but half of the staff are allowed to go off duty at 9.30 on alternate nights.

On Friday, if the House adjourns at 5 p.m., the staff finish at 6 p.m.

On Saturday they finish at 1 p.m., and are not required again till Monday morning.

Waiters are provided with a livery waistcoat and buttons for their dress-coat.

The staff are paid full wages for the period of the Easter and Whitsun vacations.

Extra waiters engaged from 6 p.m. till about 9.30 p.m. receive 3s. 6d., and are provided with refreshment (6s. if engaged for luncheon and dinner).

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the disappearance at sea on 30th May, 1913, from the steamer "Mutlah," of London, of an Asiatic trimmer named Mozidallee; whether he was medically examined before joining; whether any inquiry has been held into the circumstances attending the disappearance; whether the man was on duty at the time how many firemen and trimmers were employed on board; whether they were serving under an Asiatic agreement; what was the temperature of the stokehold and engine-room; how many tons of coal were consumed every twenty-four hours; whether any previous cases of disappearance or suicide or deaths from beri-beri, heat stroke, or heart failure have occurred on this ship; and whether he can ascertain from the owners if any compensation has been paid to the relatives of Mozidallee?

The Board of Trade have received a report of the disappearance at sea of Mozidallee on the 30th May, 1913, from the steamer "Mutlah." Information is not available as to whether or not he had been medically examined before joining. An inquiry has not yet been held, but it will be held if the vessel returns to the United Kingdom. The man was on duty at the time, and twenty-seven fire men and trimmers were employed on board under an Asiatic agreement. Information is not available as to the temperature of the stokehold and engine-room. The average daily consumption of coal was, I understand. 38 tons. No previous cases of disappearance or suicide, or deaths from beri-beri, heat stroke, or heart failure have occurred on this ship within the last three years. The owners inform me that they have not paid compensation to the relatives of Mozidallee.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the death from heart failure, on 26th June, 1913, of a Chinese fireman named Chan Yuk, while serving on the "Benavon," of Leith; whether any inquiry has been held into the circumstances attending the death; how long the man had served on the ship; whether he was on duty at the time; how many firemen and trimmers were employed; whether they were serving under an Asiatic agreement; what was the temperature of the engine-room and stokehold; how many tons of coal were consumed every twenty-four hours; whether any previous deaths from heart failure, heat stroke, disappearance, suicide, or supposed suicide have occurred on this ship; and whether he can ascertain from the owners if any compensation has been paid to the relative of Chan Yuk?

Inquiries have been held at Antwerp and Hull into the circumstances attending the death of Chan Yuk, who had served on the "Benavon" for about three months on the voyage on which he met his death. He had also served on the previous voyage of the vessel. He had been off duty for twenty-five days before his death. Eleven firemen and trimmers appear to have been employed on the vessel under an Asiatic agreement. One previous death from heart failure has occurred on the vessel during the last three years. I have no information respecting the temperature of the engine-room and stokehold and the coal consumption or on the question of compensation, but I am in communication with the owners of the vessel, and will let my hon. Friend know the result.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the disappearance at sea on 19th July, 1913, from the steamer "Warwickshire," of Liverpool, of an Asiatic trimmer named Abdool Hossein Nozimoolla; whether he was medically examined before joining; whether any inquiry has been held into the circumstances attending the disappearance; whether the man was on duty at the time; how many firemen and trimmers were employed on board; whether they were serving under an Asiatic agreement; what was the temperature of the stokehold and engine-room; how many tons of coal were consumed every twenty-four hours; whether any previous cases of disappearance or suicide or deaths from beri-beri, heat stroke, or heart failure have occurred on this ship; and whether he can ascertain from the owners if any compensation has been paid to the relatives of Nozimoolla?

Inquiry has been held into the circumstances attending the disappearance at sea of Abdool Hossein Nozimoolla. He was medically examined before joining the steamer "Warwickshire," and was not on duty at the time of his disappearance. Thirty-six firemen and trimmers were employed on the vessel under an Asiatic agreement. The temperature of the stokehold on the day on which the man disappeared was 93 deg forward and 104 deg. aft, and of the engine-room 112 deg. The average coal consumption was 74 tons per day. No previous cases of disappearance or suicide, or deaths from beri-beri, heat stroke, or heart failure have occurred on this vessel during the last three years. The owners inform me that compensation has not been paid to the relatives of Nozimoolla.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the suicide on 1st September, 1913, from the steamer "Shimosa," of Liverpool, of a Chinese fireman and trimmer named Tang Sang; whether he was medically examined before joining; how long the man had served on the ship; whether any inquiry has been held into the circumstance attending the suicide; whether the man was on duty at the time; how many firemen and trimmers were employed on board; whether they were serving under an Asiatic agreement; what was the temperature of the stokehold and engine-room; how many tons of coal were consumed every twenty-four hours; whether any previous cases of disappearance, suicide, or supposed suicide, or deaths from heat stroke or heart failure have occurred on this ship; and whether he can ascertain from the owners if any compensation has been paid to the relatives?

An inquiry was held into the circumstances of the suicide of Tang Sang by the Acting British Consul at Dairen. Information is not available as to whether or not the man was medically examined before joining the steamer "Shimosa." He had been on the vessel two days before his disappearance, and was on duty at the time. Thirteen firemen and trimmers were employed on the vessel under an Asiatic agreement. The temperature of the stokehold at the time of the man's disappearance was 92 deg., and of the engine-room 98 deg. The owners inform me that the usual coal consumption is about 28 to 30 tons per day, and that no claim for compensation has been made or paid in this case. One previous case of suicide has occurred on this vessel during the last three years.