asked the Chief Secretary what the Estates Commissioners have done towards acquiring for distribution among landless and congested people the lands of Kilmore, Streete, Westmeath, which the owner, Colonel Kavanagh, and the tenant have expressed their willingness to sell for this purpose; what the area of the land in question is; and whether there is any prospect of its being acquired and distributed?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that the lands referred to are tenanted lands held subject to a second term judicial rent. They comprise 450 acres, and the Commissioners decided, after inspection, that they could not, having regard to the prices which the owner and tenant require for their respective interest, advance to the owner a sum under the Land Purchase Acts sufficient to enable him to acquire the tenant's interest and to sell the lands to the Commissioners as untenanted land for the purposes of distribution. Proceedings have not been instituted for the sale of the lands to the Commissioners, and they have not taken any further action in the matter.

asked what the Estates Commissioners have done towards acquiring for distribution among landless and congested people the lands of Balreagh, Westmeath, which the owner. Mr. R. Smyth, and the tenant, Mr. R. Reynell, have expressed their willingness to sell for this purpose; what the area of the land in question is; and whether there is any prospect of its being acquired and distributed?

The Estates Commismissioners have not taken any action with a view to the acquisition of these lands. They are tenanted lands, and are in the occupation of a judicial tenant named James Taylor, who has acquired the interest of the former tenant, Richard Reynell. The lands comprise 347 acres, and if the owner is willing to sell the lands to the Commissioners as untenanted land for the purposes of distribution in accordance with the provisions of the Land Purchase Acts, he will first have to acquire the tenant's interest, and then institute proceedings under those Acts for the sale of the lands to the Commissioners freed and discharged from all occupation interests.

asked what steps, if any, the Estates Commissioners have taken towards acquiring for distribution among landless and congested people the Coates and Fannon estate, near Castlepollard, which the trustees are willing to sell for this purpose; and whether any practical steps will be taken now to this end?

Up to the present proceedings have not been instituted by the owner for the sale of this estate before the Estates Commissioners under the Land Purchase Acts. The Commissioners have not taken any action in the matter, Portion of the lands appear to be in the occupation of tenants. If the owners are willing to sell the lands to the Commissioners for the purposes of distribution in accord ance with the provisions of the Land Purchase Acts the owners will first have to acquire the tenants' interests and then institute proceedings under those Acts for the sale of the lands to the Commissioners freed and discharged from all occupation interests.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board received, at the end of last year, memorials from the inhabitants of the Glenties, county Donegal (being tenants on the Conyngham estate, recently acquired by the Board), asking for the construction of a bog road at Meenavale and also for the establishment of technical classes; and whether the Board is aware that, in the absence of such roads as have been asked for, many families experience difficulty in obtaining a supply of fuel; and whether they have taken, or propose to take, any steps in the matter?

In November last the Congested Districts Board received a memorial from tenants on the Conyngham estate asking them to make a new road in the townlands of Mullanmore and Ardun in the Glen of Glenties to give access to a limestone quarry and to a tract of bog, but no mention is made of Meenavale in the memorial. On consideration of the memorial the Board decided not to undertake the making of the road. An application was received on behalf of the people of the Glen of Glenties for the establishment of technical classes in the district, but no decision has yet been arrived at.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the total amount deducted from the pay of all ranks and ratings in the Royal Navy and Royal Marine forces for hospital stoppages since the National Insurance Act has been in force?

The amount deducted between the 15th July, 1912, and the 31st March, 1913, was approximately £3,800. Pending the examination of accounts for 1913–14 the amounts deducted during that financial year cannot at present be stated.

asked the total amount paid to commissioned officers, warrant officers, petty officers, non-commissioned officers, and men in the Royal Navy and Royal Marine forces as wages for the financial year 1913–14; and what was the actual number of commissioned officers, warrant officers, petty officers, non-commissioned officers, and men in the Royal Navy and Royal Marine forces at the end of the financial year 1913–14?

Pending the examination of the accounts, which is not yet completed, I regret I am not able to state the exact amount paid as wages during 1913–14, but it is estimated, according to the latest information available, that the total sum paid amounts to £8,590,000. The number of commissioned officers, warrant officers, petty officers, noncommissioned officers, and men, in the Royal Navy and Royal Marine forces on the 15th March, 1914, was 145,601.

asked the total amount deducted from the pay of warrant officers, petty officers, and men of the Navy, of all ratings, as contributions under the National Insurance Act since the Act has been in force?

Section 46 of the National Insurance Act is not applicable to warrant officers of the Navy, and consequently no deduction is made from their pay. The total amount deducted from the pay of men and boys below that rank up to the 30th June last was £31,678. It is not yet possible to give exact figures for any later period, but it is estimated that the deductions from the 1st July, 1913, to the 31st March last will amount to a sum of about £25,500.

asked the total amount deducted from the pay of warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Royal Marine forces as contributions under the National Insurance Act since the Act has been in force?

The total amount up to the 30th June last was £4,943. It is not yet possible to give exact figures for any later period, but it is estimated that the deductions from the 1st July, 1913, to the 31st March last, will amount to a sum of about £4,000.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many workmen are at present on the pay-roll of the Royal Aircraft Factory; how many of these are employed directly on the construction of aeroplanes or on the construction of experimental aeroplanes; whether recently a number of men engaged for aeroplane construction have been employed in making office furniture; if so, what would be the value of the furniture so produced if bought in the open market; and what has been its cost at the Royal Aircraft Factory?

The answer to the first part of the question is 1,174, to the second part 600. Office or shop fittings have been made by men on trial or lads under preliminary instruction on a few occasions when odd pieces of wood unsuitable for aeroplanes could economically be used up. Some cabinets for filing documents were recently made, at a cost, including a full share of establishment and other general charges of the factory, of about £9. If purchased they would have cost about £9 10s.

asked the Secretary of State for War the total amount paid to commissioned officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Regular Army as wages for the financial year 1913–14; and what was the actual number of commissioned officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men in the Regular Army at the end of the financial year 1913–14?

The amount actually paid will not be known until the accounts of the year are made up, some months hence, but the amount provided, as shown at page 29 of the Estimates for the year, was £7,157,000 (exclusive of insurance contributions paid by the War Office). The total of all ranks on the British establishment on 1st April, 1914, was 161,645.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is in a position to state the conditions which will be observed in making Grants in the current financial year to necessitous school areas; and what school areas will be helped which have not been previously considered as necessitous?

I must refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave in reply to a similar question by the hon. Member for Denbigh Boroughs to-day, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the President of the Board of Education if any further destruction of the existing old Victorian decorations of the Victoria and Albert Museum is proposed by the Board of Education; and, if so, what decorations?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the number of voters in the recent school board elections in Scotland who found themselves omitted from the rolls when they attended at the polls to vote; whether this is due to the carelessness of assessors; and whether he will take any action to decentralise assessorships in large counties, in view of the fact that single assessorships for these large areas have proved a failure in getting anything like completeness in the compilation of voting rolls?

I have not received any representations to the effect of the first portion of my hon. Friend's question, but if he will supply me with the information upon which it is based I will be glad to consider the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will establish a telephone call office at Killyleigh, county Down, for the convenience of traders in the town and of the farming community in the neighbourhood?

I am inquiring whether the provision of the service is practicable, and will communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will inquire into the cause of the dismissal of an employé at the General Post Office refreshment branch at Mount Pleasant; whether he is aware that the Department subsidises this refreshment committee; and whether he is aware that the Department appoints the majority of the members of the management committee?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to his question about this case on the 29th of April. I am aware of the facts mentioned by him, but the employé in question was not a servant of the Post Office, and I am not prepared, therefore, to inquire into his case.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will direct that copies of all dispatches addressed by His Majesty's representatives abroad at the public charge to the Committee for the Economic Preservation of Birds shall be furnished to all members of Standing Committee B, now engaged upon the discussion of the Importation of Plumage (Prohibition) Bill, in order that such members may be not less well-informed upon these matters than persons not serving upon the said Standing Committee?

I will place in the Library of the House of Commons as soon as possible, copies of any reports on the subject that have been communicated by or through the Foreign Office to any unofficial persons. But in some cases, I believe, the Foreign Office has not got copies of the reports and will have to obtain them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what are the figures for the expenditure within the German Empire for the last three years under the following heads: Imperial, State, and Municipal?

In regard to Imperial expenditure, I would refer the hon. Member to the Reports on the finances of the German Empire which are presented annually to both Houses of Parliament. I have not material to enable me to reply to the question as regards State and municipal expenditure, and it would be difficult to obtain it unless there are published figures available in Germany.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether his attention has been called to the death at sea from beri-beri, on the 30th June, 1913, on the steamer "Strathbeg," of Glasgow, of a Chinese fireman and trimmer named Can Cheng; whether he is aware that this disease is attributed to insufficient and improper food; whether he can state if this man was medically examined before joining the ship; if any previous deaths from beri-beri have occurred on this ship; (2) whether his attention has been called to the death at sea from beri-beri, on 21st February, 1913, on the steamer "Jeseric," of Glasgow, of a Chinese trimmer named Chong King; whether he is aware that this disease is attributed to insufficient and improper food; whether he can state if this man was medically examined before joining the ship; and if any previous deaths from beri-beri have occurred on this ship?

The Board of Trade have received reports of the deaths of Can Cheng and Chong King from beri-beri, and they are aware that this disease is sometimes attributed to insufficient and improper food. Information is not available as to whether or not the men were medically examined before joining the steamers "Strathbeg" and "Jeseric' respectively. No previous deaths from beri-beri have occurred on these vessels during the last three years.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the death at sea on 5th May, 1913, of a Chinese fireman and trimmer named Ah San, whilst serving on the "Harpalyce," of London; whether he can state the cause of death; how long the man had served on the ship; and whether the man was on duty at the time?

The Board of Trade have received a report of the death at sea of Ah San which was attributed to excessive opium smoking. The man had served on the steamer "Harpalyce" for about two and a half months and had, it is understood, been off duty for two days before his death.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the death from injury on 9th May, 1913, of a Chinese seaman named Kwock Gow, or Zow, on the steamer "St. Albans," of London; whether any inquiry has been held into the circumstances attending the death; whether the man was on duty at the time; and whether he can ascertain from the owners if any compensation has been paid to the relatives of the seaman?

An inquiry was held at Brisbane into the circumstances attending the death, owing to an accident, of Kwock Zow, who was on duty at the time of his death. The owners inform me that their agents at Hong Kong dealt with the question of compensation, but that they have no information as to how it was settled.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the death at sea on 14th May, 1913, of an Asiatic trimmer named Tazimoolla whilst serving on the "Collegian" of Liverpool; whether he can state the cause of death; how long the man had served on the ship; and whether the man was on duty at the time?

An inquiry was held at Calcutta and in this country into the circumstances attending the death of Tazimoolla. He was found in the 'tween deck bunker in an unconscious condition, and is supposed to have fallen when engaged in trimming the coal. He subsequently died from shock and collapse. He had served on the steamer "Collegian" for over two months, and was on duty at the time of the accident.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the delays caused by the Registrar of Friendly Societies' staff in revising and returning proofs of rules and amendments, and to the fact that copies are kept back for months, causing expense to friendly societies; and whether anything can be done to amend this inconvenience?

The Chief Registrar is unaware of any such delays in dealing with the rules of friendly societies as are suggested in the hon. Member's question or of any undue delay, regard being had to the care required for the inspection of rules and amendments of rules by the Registrars and to the temporary pressure of work due to the numerous amendments necessitated by the National Insurance Act, 1911, and the amending Act of 1913. If the hon. Member will supply me with particulars of any specific case in which undue delay is alleged, I shall be happy to have inquiry made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, with reference to his reply to a question on 11th May, 1908, on the subject of debt reduction, he will state, assuming that all the reductions of debt, funded and unfunded, that have been effected since 31st March, 1903, were reductions of the debt incurred for the South African War, what was approximately the total amount of that debt. remaining unpaid on 31st March in each year from 1903 to 1914; and what was approximately the interest payable upon that War Debt in each of these years?

As explained in the reply referred to in the question, any calculation must be purely hypothetical. The following figures are arrived at on the same basis as those given in that reply—that is to say, they include dead-weight debt only, and leave out of account terminable annuities and 2½ per cent. and 2¾4 per cent. annuities, no securities of these descriptions having been created for the South African War. With these exceptions, they are based on the assumption that all reductions of debt, funded and unfunded, that have been effected during the years in question were reductions of War Debt:— On 31st March. Estimated War Debt outstanding. Estimated Interest payable thereon. £ £ 1903 … 159,000,000 … 4,328,000 1904 … 153,243,000 … 4,074,000 1905 … 151,466,000 … 3,992,000 1906 … 144,077,000 … 3,735,000 1907 … 133,206,000 … 3,421,000 1008 … 117,049,000 … 3,017,000 1909 … 109,827,000 … 2,828,000 1910 … 101,753,000 … 2,662,000 1911 … 96,391,000 … 2,538,000 1912 … 87,425,000 … 2,312,000 1913 … 75,748,000 … 2,007,000 1914 … 67,676,000 … 1,801,000