asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether there is any insuperable objection to accepting as recruits men, otherwise qualified, who are suffering from astigmatism and who require to be provided with a cylindrical or sphero-cylindrical lens?

Astigmatic men have always been accepted as recruits provided they possess a quarter of the normal vision without glasses.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state what steps have been taken by the War Office to prevent the recruiting of men whose services are required for the production of munitions of war or who may be engaged in industries producing material required for the manufacture of munitions, or for the equipment of the Army and Navy, or who are in other industries rendering special services to the nation in connection with the prosecution of the War; and whether instructions have been issued to recruiting officers to avoid the withdrawal of men from all such industries?

All recruiting officers have in their possession lists of certain specified trades essential to the supply of munitions of war, and also lists of certain firms supplying the War Office and Admiralty with munitions or equipment. No man belonging to one of the trades or employed by any of the firms mentioned in these lists is allowed to be enlisted. Certain other occupations, e.g., railways, cable companies, essential to the nation are also closed to recruiting.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will state the percentage of married men enlisted in the Regular Army?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 29th June, to which I can add nothing.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that a firm named Messrs. Wenn's, of Great Yarmouth, has secured a subcontract from the firm of Boulton and Paul, of Norwich, for making 10,000 trays for cordite; that this firm is only paying the men employed on the work just over 5½d. per hour, the standard rate of the district being 8d. per hour; and whether he will compel this firm to observe the Fair Wages-Clause or cancel the contract?

No contracts for cordite trays has been placed by the War Office with either of the firms mentioned in the question.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that the firm of Messrs. Wheaters that is carrying out work at the military camp, Richmond, Yorkshire, are doing the joiners' work on a piece or bonus system, with the result that the work is badly done; that other workmen have had to do-some of the work over again; and that workmen who have refused to work on this system have been discharged; and whether he will cancel the contract held by Messrs. Wheater and strike the firm off the list of those invited to tender for War Office work?

I am afraid the hon. Member has been misinformed. No joinery work is being done by piecework. The men are paid standard wages and in certain cases receive a bonus in addition for special work No joinery work has been condemned for bad workmanship or had to be replaced, or have any workmen refused to carry out work so far as I am aware. None have been discharged.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the case of Mrs. Hanney, of 33, Springfield Road, Burnley, the mother of Private John Hanney, No. 9,559, 6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, who is now believed to be serving at the front in the Gallipoli Peninsula; whether an allotment of 6d. a day was made by this soldier in favour of his mother, with the result that she was receiving 10s. a week; whether this payment has since been stopped under the new Army Order 1838; and whether, if it appears that it was the soldier's intention to make this allotment, he will have the payment continued?

Inquiry will be made. and the hon. Member will be informed of the result in due course.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will have inquiries made into the case of Sophia Proctor, wife of Private R. Proctor, No. 18,028, 3rd Battalion Scottish Rifles, as to whom the authorities in Scotland have refused for over four months to grant separation allowance on the ground that the man did not contribute to his wife's support before enlistment; and whether, in the event of proof being adduced that Private Proctor married his wife immediately before the declaration of war and supported her up to the time of his enlistment, steps will promptly be taken to have the matter put right?

Inquiry will be made, and the hon. Member will be informed of the result in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, having regard to the fact that between 1st January and 13th May of this year 1,289 alien enemies were released by the order of the War Office, he will say in how many of these cases, if any, before the prisoners were released, the Home Office was consulted; in how many cases were police reports furnished to the War Office of the records of the prisoners; in how many of these cases the Home Office recommended the Secretary of State for War to release the prisoners; and how many of these same persons have since 13th May been reinterned?

The Home Office obtained in each case a report from the police containing the record of the man and submitted it to the War Office. The Home Office made no recommendations, the decision at that time resting entirely with the War Office. It would be impossible to say how many of the persons then released have since been reinterned, but the present policy of internment is applied in all cases where exemption is not granted, whether the individual was previously interned and released or not.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will cause reconsideration to be given to the application of Mrs. Parrett, No. 185, Earlsfield Road, Earlsfield, S.W., wife of ex-police constable William Henry Parrett, who asked and received permission to resign from the police in order to join the military foot police, for the special allowance from police funds, on the same footing as in the case of policemen who rejoin the Army with the sanction of their superior officers under the Police Constables (Naval and Military Service) Act, 1914; if he is aware of the official statement that under the Police (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1915, such privileges would be extended to any police officer, whether he had served in the Army in the past or not, or whether he had special qualifications or not, and should apply to all who had already enlisted; and, whatever the technical position may be, will he keep in view that an impression was thereby created that such privileges were intended to be made available for all officers, including a man in the position of Parrett?

The facts of this case were fully stated in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Wandsworth on the 8th of March last. The Police (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1915, applies to men who enlisted before the Act passed exactly as it applies to men who enlist after its passing; but this ease does not come within its provisions.

asked the Prime Minister if, having regard to the need for reticence and economy of public time, he will introduce an amendment of the Standing Orders so that in future all questions shall be submitted to and approved by a censor appointed by the House of Commons before appearing in the Orders of the Day, and limiting the right of any Member to ask only one question on one day?

The Speaker decides whether questions are within the Rules of the House. He is in no sense a censor with powers to prevent questions being asked which are harmful to the public interest. I fully sympathise with the hon. Member's objects, but I am not prepared as at present advised to propose a variation from the present practice.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland the number of police summonses issued against residents in the sub-district of Carrignavar, county Cork, since Sergeant Cahill took charge there six months ago; the number issued for the six months preceding; the number of prosecutions under the licensing laws in which he obtained convictions; and the number dismissed?

The answer to the first part of the question is thirty-eight, and to the second part thirty-six. The former number includes three prosecutions under the licensing laws resulting in one conviction and two dismissals.

asked the Chief Secretary on what grounds the Local Government Board for Ireland disallowed the old age pension of 3s. per week granted by the pensions committee of the Cork district (Station, Cork, No. 11) to John Harrington, seeing that the only property possessed by the said John Harrington is a pension of 10s. a week allowed to him by his former employers; and whether the question will be reconsidered?

In addition to the pension of 10s. per week referred to in the question, the claimant lives rent free and has three sons boarding with him, and in these circumstances the Local Government Board considered that he was ineligible for a pension. It is not open to the Board to reconsider a claim on which their decision has been given.

asked why the claim made by the widower and family of the late Mrs. Enright, national teacher, Ballycastle, county Mayo, for the benefits accruing from the deceased's membership of the National Teachers' Benevolent Fund has so far failed to receive attention; and will he take steps to ensure immediate steps being taken to satisfy the claim?

The Irish Government have no control over the National Teachers' Benevolent Fund, which, I understand, is a private undertaking administered by the National Teachers' Organisation. All claims due in respect of the deceased teacher from the Teachers' Pension Fund have been paid.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the inconvenience caused to the people of Ramelton owing to the discontinuance of the second delivery of letters in the day, which prevents the English and Scottish mails being delivered on the day they arrive; and whether, in view of the inconvenience and loss resulting from the change, he will revert to the previous arrangement?

I am aware that the second delivery of letters at Ramelton has been discontinued, and I am sorry that it has been necessary to take this course. Restrictions imposed by the local authorities on the use of the roads by the passenger vehicles by which the mails were formerly conveyed under contract led to the termination of the contract, and it was found impracticable to provide even one delivery daily except at greatly increased expense. As the services are being conducted at a heavy loss, the additional expenditure involved in re-establishing a second delivery is not warranted.

asked the Pastmaster General when the new post office at Bolton will be opened for the transaction of business; and whether the postal, telephone, and telegraph business will commence simultaneously?

The new building may be completed about the beginning of 1916. The postal and telegraph business will probably be moved to it at one and the same time, but, in view of the necessity for economy, it is proposed to defer the transfer of the telephones, which will involve considerable expense.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the auditor of the accounts of the United Friendly Insurance Company states in his report that they were unable to certify definitely that no part of any fund shown above had been applied directly or indirectly for any purpose other than that class of business to which it is applicable; whether he is aware that this is at least the second occasion on which such a statement has been made; and if the Board is powerless to move in such matters?

The report of the auditors of the United Friendly Insurance Company, Limited, is in the form stated. When my hon. Friend asked a question on this subject last year communication was at once made with the company and the Board of Trade were informed that the difficulty in giving a satisfactory certificate had arisen owing to the form of the accounts of the company's agents. A definite promise was obtained from the company that as from the 1st January last the accounts of the agents would be kept in such a way as to enable a definite certificate to be given.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary of the Board of Agriculture whether his Department has considered the question as to whether a considerable reduction in the price of the journal of the Board would largely increase the number of purchasers of the journal, and so make the issue more remunerative or less of a financial loss; and, if so, can he give figures, say, as to what percentage of increase in sales at 2d. per issue would require to take place in order to make the income from it equal to what it is now?

The Board have for some time past had the question of a reduction in the price of their journal under consideration, but it is doubtful whether a large increase in the number of purchasers would result from such reduction. At present the Board publish their journal on a self-supporting basis in order to comply with Treasury requirements, and if the price were reduced to 2d. the sales would require to be trebled in order to maintain the present income.