asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that a Notice of Motion was handed in by Mr. Lenihan, of Castleisland, at a meeting of the Tralee Rural District Council, stating that he would move in February, 1913, that the giving of intoxicating liquor, among members of the board and council in the board room or the precincts of same by applicants seeking positions under the guardians of rural council, or officials applying for increases of salary, be prohibited; what was the result of this motion and the number of members who voted for and against the same, and the exact date on which the motion was handed in and the date on which the motion was considered; whether the attention of the Local Government Board has been called to the matter; and, if so, with what result?

A motion to the effect stated in the question was handed in by Mr. Lenihan at the council's meeting on the 8th February, 1913. The motion was considered at a meeting on the 22nd February, when six members voted in favour of it and forty-three against it. The matter is not one which called for any intervention on the part of the Local Government Board.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether there are any ships' cooks of the rank of warrant officer at each training establishment; and whether it is proposed to appoint one to each of these training establishments?

The cookery training establishments are at the three Naval Depots, and there is one warrant officer, instructor of cookery, at each of these. It is not proposed to appoint warrant officer instructors in cookery to other training establishments.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Admiralty will allow cook ratings to join the Royal Fleet Reserve on taking pension, with a view to assisting in the annual mobilisation?

It is not proposed to open the Royal Fleet Reserve to cook ratings.

asked what is the largest daily sum which any chief cook serving for his period of twenty-two years is now receiving?

The highest rate of pay of chief ship's cooks actually serving within twenty-two years of entry is 5s. 7d. a day, made up of pay as chief ship's cook of over six years' service as such 4s. 4d., three good conduct badges 3d., and allowance for charge of general, mess 1s.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Imperial Cabinet Company (successors to the Wellington Furnishing and Manufacturing Company), of Grimsby, are carrying out any work for the Admiralty; and, if so, whether he is aware that this firm is not paying its workmen the standard rate of wage; and whether he will take steps to enforce the provisions of the Fair-Wages Clause or remove this firm from the list of Government contractors?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for War what difference there is in the Royal Engineers Special Reserve to other regiments in the Special Reserve which justifies the preference given to officers of the Engineers in promotion?

The points which weighed were that the officers in question were specialists in submarine mining and electric lighting, and that the specific duties assigned to them on mobilisation made it desirable in the public interest to retain them. With reference to my answer of the 29th ultimo, I may add that officers transferred from the Infantry Militia to the Special Reserve Infantry remained eligible for promotion to vacancies.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that the civilian labourers employed at the South Yard, East Cavalry Gate, Aldershot, in the Royal Engineers' department, have not been paid at the increased rate granted in October, 1913, while the labourers employed at the South Camp Yard and the Marlborough lines have been paid at the increased rate; and will he take steps to put the men at the South Yard in the same position as the men in the other yards, with back pay from the date the other men received the increased rate of pay?

I will have inquiry made.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the arbitrator has yet issued his award in the arbitration for the purchase of about 1,240 acres at Orfordness for the establishment of an aviation station and other purposes?

No, Sir.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether the Treasury Rule by which men of the clerical grades were precluded from promotion to examinerships at their existing salaries where these exceeded £250 per annum has now been abolished in toto, or whether it is still necessary to apply to the Treasury to make exemptions in particular cases?

The Treasury Circular of December, 1899, to which I understand the question to refer, is no longer regarded as binding in the cases referred to, each of which will in future be dealt with on its merits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the price charged to miners of the various explosives in use in coal mines immediately prior to the date of the coming into operation of the provisions of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, and as at the beginning of the year 1914?

I regret that I am unable to furnish this information. Before the present Act the men in many cases provided their own explosives, and in the cases where the explosives were provided by the owners the Home Office has no information, except possibly in some isolated instances, as to the charges made. Under the Act, as my hon. Friend is aware, the price charged by the owner may not exceed the actual net cost, but the actual net cost will vary in different cases according to the explosive used, cost of carriage to the mine, and other circumstances, and no returns are furnished to the Home Office by the owners on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been directed to the instructions issued along with the new explosive monarkete to the effect that in all cases after a blast the material brought down or blown out ought to be carefully examined lest any cartridge or piece of cartridge should remain unexploded; whether it is a condition of the Home Office test that after the shot no appreciable amount of the charge shall remain unexploded; and whether he will consider as to making some further investigation in order to ascertain whether the explosive in question conforms to the test, in view of the maker's instruction as to the possibility of the cartridges or pieces thereof remaining unexploded?

I have seen the instructions in question, a copy of which my hon. Friend has been good enough to send me, but I am advised that they are not peculiar to monarkete, and that similar instructions are very generally sent out by manufacturers of explosives, as a measure of precaution, with each packet of blasting explosive. It is a condition of the Home Office tests for permitted explosives that after the shot no appreciable amount of the charge shall remain unexploded (and, as I informed my hon. Friend in reply to his question of 30th April, the explosive monarkete duly passed these tests), but in actual practice various circumstances may arise which will prevent a charge from detonating completely, and accidents due to boring into the unexploded residue or striking it while removing debris are unfortunately by no means infrequent. It is accordingly very desirable that, whatever may be the explosive used, the examination recommended in the instructions referred to should always be carried out after a shot has been fired; and such examination is provided for in the general requirement contained in Clause 2 ( g ) of the Explosives in Coal Mines Order.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether any general voluntary hospitals in London have made arrangements with local authorities or insurance committees for treating tuberculous cases; if so, will he state the number of these institutions which have made such arrangements; the number of beds so made available; and whether all these institutions receive payment for treating these insured persons?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I understand that arrangements are at present in force between the London Insurance Committee and three general hospitals under which twenty-eight beds were occupied by insured persons at the beginning of the present month, while arrangements are pending with a fourth hospital. Arrangements are also in force between the committee and three consumption hospitals under which seventy beds were occupied by insured persons at the date above-mentioned. The London County Council propose to make arrangements for the treatment of tuberculous cases in seven general hospitals and three consumption hospitals in London, and I understand that they hope to obtain 160 beds at these institutions during the next twelve months. The Middlesex and Surrey County Councils have each arranged for the use of beds at two general or consumption hospitals in London, and on the 31st March last Middlesex were using eleven beds and Surrey thirteen beds in these hospitals. I understand that in all cases payment is or will be made by the insurance committee or the county council for all beds occupied under the arrangements specified above.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the fact that the investigations of Dr. Eastwood and Dr. Griffiths into the incidence and bacteriological characteristics of tuberculous infection in children did not include an inquiry into cases of tubercular disease in children under the age of two years, and in view of the fact that, according to the investigations of Mr. Stiles and Dr. Philip Mitchell, it is in the earliest years of life that bovine baccili are most frequently found to be present in children, the Local Government Board propose to supplement the investigations of Dr. Eastwood and Dr. Griffiths by a similar inquiry into cases of tubercular disease in children under the age of two years?

When opportunity offers the question of undertaking such an investigation as the hon. Member suggests will be carefully considered. An investigation is now in progress which it is hoped will throw some light on the question as to the relative responsibilities of the bovine and human tubercle bacillus in the production of bone and joint disease.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will consider the propriety of directing that vaccination officers should be paid either a fixed salary, with postages, extra, or the same fee for dealing with statutory declarations as for certificates?

I do not propose to take any general action on the lines suggested.

asked the President of the Local Government Board what additional duties have been put on local authorities by Imperial legislation from the year 1896 to 1905 and from the year 1906 to the present time; and what is the approximate cost of the same to the said authorities?

I regret that it is not practicable to give the information for which my hon. Friend asks.

asked the Postmaster-General if his attention has been called by the Grimsby United Fish Merchants and Fish Curers Association, Limited, to the delays taking place in the transmission of telegraphic messages at Grimsby docks, thereby causing loss to traders; whether the delay is due in a great measure to understaffing; and whether he is prepared to take such means to increase the staff as will enable the business to be dealt with promptly and expeditiously?

I have just received the communication from the association in question; and if they will forward to me particulars of any telegrams which have been delayed, I will have inquiry made as to their treatment. Ample staff is provided at Grimsby; but, when hundreds of telegrams are handed in together, there must be delay, especially when, as not infrequently happens at Grimsby, the telegrams are not fully addressed, or when they are written in cypher or contain figures, which require special care in transmission.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that upon the institution of an afternoon delivery in the village of Dundonald, county Down, one of the postmen was engaged for the work at extra remuneration, but the work has since been taken from him and is now done by a porter in the employ of the County Down Railway Company; and whether he will cause the original arrangement to be reverted to and thus allow the postman to augment his present wage of 10s. or 11s. a week?

It was found that the extra work resulting from the institution of an afternoon delivery justified the creation of an appointment for an established postman at Dundonald. The necessary steps are being taken, and the employment on postal work of the porter referred to will cease.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the Imperial Cabinet Company, successors to the Wellington Furnishing and Manufacturing Company, of Grimsby, has any contract for work in his Department; if so, is he aware that this firm refuses to pay its workmen the rate of wages current in the district; and whether he will compel this firm to observe the Fair-Wages Clause, or strike it off the list of firms invited to tender for work for the Post Office?

No contract has been issued to the firm in question from Post Office headquarters. It is possible, however, that purchases have been made from them by local officers, and I am having inquiry made on the point.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture the value of the imports of poultry and eggs into this country for each of the past ten years, and the estimated value of the home production during the same years?

The particulars asked for in the first part of the question are shown in the following table:— Year. Eggs. Poultry. Alive* Dead* Total. £ £ £ £ 1904 6,730,574 — — 1,089,145 1905 6,812,436 — — 905,791 1906 7,098,122 — — 869,114 1907 7,135,530 — — 903,847 1908 7,183,112 — — 934,679 1909 7,233,932 — — 920,697 1910 7,296,145 — — 821,292 1911 7,967,555 — — 918,197 1912 8,394,524 38,779 806,786 845,565 1913 9,590,602 37,923 954,540 992,463 * Not separately distinguished prior to 1912.

I regret that I am unable to give a complete answer to the second part of the question. The total value of poultry and eggs produced on and sold off farms in the United Kingdom was estimated for the Census of Production in 1908 at about £9,250,000, but there is a large non-agricultural production not included in this figure, the value of which cannot be estimated.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture the approximate amount spent each year by the Board on the extension and improvement of the poultry industry?

The Grants made by the Board in aid of agricultural education provided by county councils and by colleges cover instruction in poultry keeping, but the cost of such instruction cannot be separated from other forms of education. Forty-one poultry instructors are employed in England and Wales, some of whom also give instruction in other subjects. The Grants-in-Aid of experiments and demonstrations in connection with poultry-keeping in 1913–14 amounted to £521; the sum sanctioned for 1914–15 is £716. In addition the Treasury have authorised Grants from the Development Fund payable through the Board in respect of laying competitions during 1913–14 amounting to £432.