asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that women who have been entrusted with grants of money for payment to widows of soldiers out of the Royal Patriotic Fund have, in some cases, assumed the right to invest almost the whole amount entrusted to them in the War Loan; whether he is aware that, acting on this assumption, a certain Miss Boswell refused to allow Mrs. Gill, of 54, Appian Road, Bow, to draw 10s. out of a sum of money due to her and which she required for the purpose of providing medical attendance and proper nourishment for a sick daughter; and if he will make it known that pressure of this sort ought not to be used on dependants of soldiers and sailors to compel them to invest money in the War Loan?

My attention has not previously been called to any case of the kind referred to in the question. I am, however, asking the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation to look into the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General why agents other than bankers are not being appointed to obtain subscriptions to the War Loan through the Post Office; and if there is any special reason why this privilege should not be extended to stockbrokers as 'well as to bankers?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to a similar question on the 19th of July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether dealings in the new War Loan will be allowed while Post Office subscriptions are still open; and, if so, what steps will be taken to prevent possible quotations of the Loan at a discount, while subscriptions are being invited through the Post Office at par?

Dealings in the new stock will not commence until the 29th instant. The present arrangements for receiving subscriptions through the Post Office will be modified as from the end of the current month. I am not at present in a position to make any further statement on the subject.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether, in view of the need of munitions at the front and in view of the fact that this need appears still in many manufacturing districts not to be properly understood, he can arrange that in each Parliamentary area in manufacturing districts small parties of workmen should have facilities for being taken to the front in Flanders provided that the cost of the visit can be arranged by the local Member of Parliament or provided otherwise than out of public funds?

This proposal will be considered.

asked the Minister of Munitions what arrangements have been made to assist Irish firms in obtaining machinery to make munitions; and whether it is intended to bring over men to England for the purpose of manufacturing munitions?

The supply of machine tools is limited, but as opportunity occurs the requirements of Ireland will be dealt with. Assistance has already been given when asked for so far as machinery was available. In regard to the second part of the question, workmen in any part of the United Kingdom who have enrolled as War Munitions Volunteers and who are not actually employed on urgent war work, are liable to be transferred to other places where their services may be of value for the immediate production of munitions of war.

asked the Minister of Munitions whether lie will endeavour to arrange, in conjunction with the Admiralty and the War Office Inventions Committees, for considering how far cheaper and simpler designs of articles now supplied to the Army and Navy can be substituted for the existing designs commonly called "sealed patterns"; and whether he will consider the promotion of a public exhibition of such articles as are not of a confidential character with the specifications, so that inventors can have access with the view of obtaining improvements both in efficiency and economy?

I will consult the Departments referred to.

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if the subsistence allowance granted at the commencement of the War in the case of men brought from a distance and enlisted in the dockyards on emergency terms of a special subsistence allowance of £1 a week has been discontinued in the case of new entrants, whilst in the case of men already in receipt of it and who have already more than completed the three months' employment guaranteed them the allowance is being withdrawn; if so, will he explain why this substantial reduction is being made in the wages of the men, especially at a time when appeals are being made for skilled workmen in the munitions factories with the promise of special subsistence allowance; if he is aware that there is disaffection among the electricians in the dockyards on this account, and that the London district committee has asked the executive of the union to withdraw all their members from His Majesty's dockyards and Government ships; and will he re-establish the subsistence allowance?

The subsistence allowance referred to has been discontinued in respect of new entrants. The emergency terms were intended to be of a temporary character for men engaged from a distance to enable these men to meet the expense they might incur in accepting employment in the Dockyards owing to the temporary necessity of maintaining two homes. In accordance with the original intention, the employment on the emergency terms is being in all cases terminated when circumstances admit of this being done I need not say that there has been no breach of undertaking. It is not anticipated that the termination of the employment on special terms of a relatively few men is calculated to cause any disaffection amongst the employés who are serving under ordinary conditions.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can say how many able-bodied sergeants are now doing clerks' work in Record and other offices under the War Department at home and abroad; and whether, in view of the need for instructors at home and for non-commissioned officers in the firing line, he will consider the advisability of substituting old civilian clerks or women clerks for the sergeants so employed, retaining only sufficient to supply the technical knowledge?

The hon. Member is quite mistaken if he supposes that the clerks' work in Record and other War Department Offices in this country is performed by sergeants on the Active List. Any sergeants employed in these offices are pensioners, and a certain number of the more able-bodied have already joined as instructors, or for duty at home and abroad. The clerks in these offices are mostly civilians outside recruitable age, and arrangements are now being made to allow of the employment of women clerks. It is understood that the office work on the Continent is, as far as possible, carried on by men who are temporarily unfit for more active duties at the front. Obviously, neither old civilian clerks nor women clerks would be suitable there. In every army it is necessary to employ a certain number of active able-bodied soldiers in clerical work, though this number is kept as low as possible.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the concession which has been granted to members of the veterinary profession belonging to the Civil Services, i.e., the Board of Agriculture, the D.A.T.I. (Ireland), the Indian Civil Service, etc., whereby those with five years' service will, on joining the Army Veterinary Service, be given the rank of captain, will be extended to experienced members of the profession who have relinquished lucrative private practices in order to serve their country in the Army Veterinary Service?

It has not been considered necessary to extend this concession to all members of the veterinary profession of five years' standing, who have been appointed to temporary commissions in the Army Veterinary Corps. Their qualifications and status in the veterinary profession are, however, taken into consideration in selecting them for appointments in which higher rank is a necessity.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War what are the rates of pay for motor drivers, enlisted or employed since the War, engaged on Transport Service with the Army in France?

6s. a day.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state the reason for reducing the pay of men who enlisted early in August last as carpenters in the Mechanical Transport section of the Army Service Corps on the understanding that they were to be paid 7s. 6d. a day without rations?

If the hon. Member will let me have particulars, I will have inquiry made.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that there is still a feeling of dissatisfaction on account of the delay in providing a fully-equipped receiving depot for articles, commodities, and Irish products required by the Army; whether he is aware that the said depot would be likewise useful to accept tenders and supplies for the Civil Service and other Government wants in Ireland; and whether, in view of the continued agitation and previous promises, he will recommend its adoption at an early date?

The position is still as stated in the answer which I gave to the hon. Member on the 1st instant, and I regret that I can hold out no hope of a change of system at present.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will state the reason for not paying privates in the Royal Engineers stationed at Houghton Regis their wages in regular amounts from week to week instead of odd weekly amounts of 9s., 10s., and sometimes 17s.?

I have made inquiries from the Officer Commanding the Signal Depot, Houghton Regis. He informs me that the men are paid regular amounts every week, and are not even allowed to accumulate savings to the end of the month. He maintains that this is the rule, and that the only exception is in the case of men joining from other companies, to whom the Officer Commanding pays what he considers the approximate amount until he is notified by the Officer Commanding of the old company of the correct rate.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he can state the separation or other allowances which are being paid by the German Government to wives and dependants of German soldiers?

A special allowance is issued to the wives and legitimate children under fifteen years of non-commissioned officers and men on active service; to illegitimate children where the paternity is clearly established; to legitimate children over fifteen years, brothers and sisters and relatives according to nearness of kinship, in so far as they were supported by the soldier or became dependent on him after his entering the Service. The rate of the allowance is, for a wife, 9 mark monthly from May to October, and at least 12 mark monthly for the rest of the year. The rate for each child or dependant is at least 6 mark monthly. A supply of flour, potatoes, and fuel may be partly issued in lieu of the money allowance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home. Department if he is aware that on Sunday, 4th July, in Hyde Park, Mr. Herbert Broome, who has already secured fifty recruits for the Navy, was speaking at a recruiting meeting; that at the close of his speech a woman in the crowd asked him whether soldiers returning from the War could be sure of getting their jobs back if women had taken their places; the Mr. Broome replied that if women had taken the men's places at lower wages he was afraid not; that he deplored the fact that railway men who had been paid 27s, a week had been replaced by girls at 12s. 6d., and stated that the employers who had done this thing were not patriotic; that an officer standing in the crowd said that lie was doing more harm than good and would get into trouble; that when Mr. Broome stepped down from the platform a policeman arrested him for using words prejudicial to recruiting; and that Mr. Broome was sentenced at Marlborough Street Police Court on 5th July to twenty-one days' imprisonment, without the option of a fine, for the words that he had used; and if, in order to make it known that men who are endeavouring to forward the interests of the country shall not be victimised, he will have Mr. Broome released?

Mr. Broome was charged with making statements prejudicial to recruiting, and it was stated in evidence that in the course of his speech he made repeated references to the foolishness of men who leave good situations in order to join the Army. He pleaded guilty to the charge and expressed himself sorry for what he had said. I regret that I can find no ground; for advising any interference with the sentence.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Constable Crich, of the Sheffield Police Force, who joined the Army and was killed on active service; whether he is aware that the constable paid for eight years into a pension fund available after twenty-five years' service, but which under certain circumstances may be used for the purpose of returning at an earlier date the payments made by the constable; whether he is aware that the Watch Committee, in the absence of special sanction from Parliament, has declined to pay to the widow the deductions from her husband's wages which he assured her she would receive in the event of his death; and whether such Parliamentary sanction will be given?

I have made inquiry about this case, and I am informed that Mrs. Crich has not made any application for the return to her of the deductions mentioned in the question; but in any case the Watch Committee has no power, to make the payment. If the allowance granted her by the War Office had been less than the pension she would have received had her husband been killed in police service the Watch Committee could have suplemented the Army allowance; but in this ease the Army allowance, which is 20s. 6d. a week, is greater than the maximum police pension.