asked the Prime Minister if he will communicate any future proposal with regard to the neutralisation of Central Africa to the House of Commons before a decision is reached?

No, Sir, I am afraid I cannot give such an undertaking.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state the number of officials of military age in each of the various Government Departments, and the number from each Department who have joined some branch or other of the Forces since the outbreak of the War?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given by the Prime Minister to the hon. and learned Member for Warwick and Leamington on the 14th ultimo, and by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member for Wigan on the 29th June last.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury what is the total number of established officials without previous military training to whom permission to enlist has been given by the Board of Customs and Excise since the beginning of the War?

I fear that I cannot give the information. It is not known how many of those to whom permission to enlist was given had previous military training, and how many had not.

asked the Prime Minister, whether permission to join the Colours has been refused to members of the Customs and Excise Department on the grounds that they could not be spared; how many have in fact enlisted without permission and forfeited their Civil posts; whether, in view of the allegation that they cannot be spared, recruiting officers are forbidden to enlist these officials; if not, will he say why they are not so for- bidden; whether Lord Derby's Committee have urged Customs and Excise officials of military age to enlist; whether he will make a statement for the guidance of these officials; and will he say that Civil servants who have enlisted without permission for Imperial service shall not be in a worse position financially than those who- have joined with the consent of their Departments for Home defence only?

A large number of members of the Customs and Excise Service have joined the Colours with permission, but permission has had to be refused in other cases because the men could not be spared. Some forty men have joined without permission. I am not in a position to say what instructions have been given to recruiting officers or what action may have been taken by them in regard to Customs and Excise officials, but I understand that Lord Derby's invitation was extended to all Civil servants, because he was unable in the time at his disposal to distinguish between those who could and those who could not be spared, and I hope that, in view of the statement which I made on the 14th October, in reply to the hon. Member for Leamington, he will be prepared for heads of Departments refusing permission to enlist. The Board of Customs and Excise are of opinion that, in view of the exceptional position of the Department and the large amount of special war duties discharged by it, they must look to their officers to continue at their present duties, and in this opinion I entirely concur. The comparison suggested in the last paragraph of the question does not arise, as permission to enlist for Home defence only has not in any case been given by the Board.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether any stationery is allowed to regimental paymasters for the purpose of answering inquiries as to separation allowance, etc; whether he is aware that the regimental paymaster at Cork has answered a query from a Member of Parliament only on the letter which the Member sent him; and will this officer be supplied with some stationery?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I was not aware of the case mentioned in the question, but I can well imagine answering a query on the letter received. This is a practice which has the highest sanction.

asked the Undersecretary of State for War whether any Army schoolmasters have been allowed to join the combatant ranks; and, if not, whether, in view of the desire of eligible men of this grade to do so, he will arrange for the transfer of as large a proportion as possible of this particular class of warrant officers to officers' training corps, so that they may acquire the necessary knowledge of the conditions of combatant service?

I do not think I can add anything on this matter to the answers I gave to my hon. Friend on the 26th of July last.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that dissatisfaction prevails in and around Dublin at the prices paid for hay for Army purposes; whether he is aware that in County Limerick and elsewhere hay has been offered to the military authorities at a price less than that given by them in Dublin, and such offers have been refused; on what grounds has refusal been made, seeing that the hay referred to was grown in what is known as the Golden Vale, which is supposed to be the finest land in Ireland; and will steps be taken to see that this hay will be procured, as it can be, without any trouble or disagreement as to price?

I understand that some dissatisfaction existed in the Dublin district owing to a few large farmers desiring to hold their hay for late spring delivery. Now that a scale of prices which provides for a later delivery has been fixed through the representative committee of agriculturists, purchases are being very freely made in the district. Some 3,500 tons of hay suitable for military requirements have already been purchased in the Golden Vale district, but a large quantity of soft and badly saved hay has been refused as unsuitable for military use.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the meat trade of Queensland is still filling the Manila contract for the supply of meat to the United States Army in the Philippine Islands; and, if so, whether he can give the beef and mutton contract prices for the year ending 30th June, 1915, and the prices for the present year?

I understand that a contract for the supply of mutton and beef for the United States Army in the Philippine Islands is being fulfilled from Queensland in respect of the year 1915–16, but I have no information as to the contract prices either for the present or the past year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can give the terms of reference of the Royal Commission appointed by the Government of Victoria to inquire into certain allegations made against the firms of the W. Angliss and Company Proprietary, Limited, and Thomas Borthwick and Sons (Australasia), Limited; and what were the specific points upon which it was felt necessary to censure the conduct of these firms?

The terms of reference of the Royal Commission mentioned in the question are to inquire into and report upon the agreement made by the Government of Victoria in the month of February, in this year, for the supply of frozen meat to His Majesty's Imperial Government by bodies corporate, firms, and persons in Victoria, and the terms and conditions of and the carrying out of the said agreement and the export of frozen meat thereunder, and generally all matters connected with or arising out of the said agreement; and also any steps taken by the Government of Victoria in connection with the export of frozen meat from Victoria during the period from the making of the said agreement to the date hereof, i.e., the 22nd of June, 1915.

The findings of the Royal Commission were:—

(1) That the firm of T. Borthwick and Son was guilty of a breach of the arrangement and did raise unwarrantable difficulties, but that none of the other shippers were so guilty.

(2) That Mr. Angliss loaded the transport "A 36" in order to avoid a probable prohibition occasioning loss to himself and in violation of the duty of extreme candour which his relation to the Government in this matter required.

(3) That Mr. Angles loaded the transport "A 37" in wilful disobedience of the decision of the Government."

I am placing a copy of this Report in the Library of the House, together with a copy of the Report of a Select Committee of the Legislative Council of Victoria appointed to inquire into the statements made in connection with the export of meat from Victoria imputing to Mr. Angliss improper conduct, which found that the statements inquired into had not been proved.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that in a successful appeal heard at Banbury Quarter Sessions on 12th October it transpired that a motorist had been convicted by the Banbury justices of the offence of carrying too powerful a light on 11th September, notwithstanding that the order under which the proceedings were taken was revoked on 9th April; and whether he proposes to take the necessary steps to secure the annulment of all similar convictions for offences alleged to have been committed in that area since the date of the revocation of the order, the repayment of the fines and costs to the persons who were wrongly convicted, and the cancellation of any consequent endorsements on their driving licences?

I will, of course, consider any application for the exercise of the prerogative of mercy in such a case as the one to which the hon. Member refers, but I have no reason to suppose there are many or indeed any others of the same kind. If there are any like cases, proceedings for redress by ordinary legal procedure would be more appropriate than an application for the exercise of the prerogative.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the failure of the Post Office to deliver parcels and letters sent to our soldiers at the Dardanelles; whether he has been informed that in one case seven parcels and three letters were sent to a soldier there of which none have yet been delivered; and whether he can take any steps to have the service improved?

The special inquiry which has been made on my instructions into the delivery of letters and parcels to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force has now been completed. The service has necessarily been slow, as it has been largely dependent on the ordinary transport service, which is carried on under conditions of considerable difficulty. Steps are now being taken, however, which will, I hope, result in the acceleration of the time of transmission of both letters and parcels to the Dardanelles by about a week.

It is believed that only one mail bag has been lost while under the care of the Post Office since the service began. The chief cause of the failure to deliver parcels is the inadequate packing. The parcels have to be transhipped to and from ships, lighters, and shore a number of times, and under conditions which make careful handling impossible. In spite of frequent notices to the public a very large number of parcels are so badly packed that they are found on arrival to be un-deliverable. I am issuing a leaflet containing instructions as to packing' which will be handed to every person who presents a parcel at a post office for trans- mission to the Dardanelles. Careful tests have been made which indicate that thefts of parcels are infrequent. In the case of men wounded at the front and sent into hospital every effort is made to discover the address of each man and to forward his correspondence, but owing to the very large number of casualties it has often been difficult and sometimes impossible to do so in every case, and a considerable number of letters and parcels have proved undeliverable from this cause.

Although there has frequently been delay owing to the circumstances which I have mentioned, there has been, so far as I can ascertain, no failure to deliver to soldiers who are still with their unit letters which are properly addressed and parcels properly addressed and adequately packed. I can give the assurance that every effort is being made, not only by the Post Office, but also by the naval authorities, who are responsible for transport, and by the military authorities, who are responsible for the actual delivery of correspondence at the front, to maintain the service at as high a standard of efficiency as the conditions allow.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether the Government propose to adopt any, and, if any, which of the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on Home-grown Food, and how soon action will be taken in the matter?

The final Report of the Committee to which the hon. and gallant Member refers is now receiving consideration, but many of the recommendations contained therein are already being carried out as part of the scheme which has formed the subject of Lord Selborne's recent addresses to farmers in various parts of the country.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many naturalised enemy aliens are employed, both permanently and temporarily, in the War Trade Department?

No naturalised enemy aliens are employed either permanently or temporarily in the War Trade Department.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether it is intended to establish a branch office in Manchester of the War Trade Department to deal with applications for licences to export cotton goods, so that delays may be minimised as much as possible?

The control of the export of cotton goods rests with the Cotton Export Committee, who sit regularly in London for the consideration of applications. The licences are issued from the Office of the War Trade Department. I am afraid that, in order to do justice to all parties concerned, it is essential to keep the issue of licences in one place.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the fact that the British Chamber of Commerce at Buenos Ayres has protested against the action of the Press Censor in permitting the transit of certain messages from London, which created a disastrous impression on neutral minds; and, if so, what action has been taken in the matter?

"The chamber emphatically protests against the Press Censor passing messages from London correspondents which are published in the daily local Press and create an entirely false impression in the minds of the neutral population as to the state of feeling in Great Britain, and sadly damage our prestige. The messages represent the country as in a state of chaos and divided opinion and the Government in disrepute. A preference is also given in dispatches to items from the Yellow Press; as the status of that Press is unknown to the foreign reader, the dispatches make a disastrous impression on his mind."

The matter is clearly one which can best be remedied by those responsible for the newspapers concerned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sum was fixed by the district valuer as the value of the timber upon the property distinguished as Surrey, Burstow No. 60, in the occasional valuation made on the death of the late owner, Mr. Green, and what did such timber consist of; was the sum arrived at on a basis of the value of such timber or on the basis of the value added to the freehold as it stood on the property; and, if not on either of these two calculations, on what basis was the value arrived at?

I regret I am not at liberty to disclose the particulars of valuations, which are based on confidential information.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will cause an instruction to be issued authorising the payment for overtime to junior clerks in Labour Exchanges, so that these young persons may be placed on a similar footing to other junior Civil servants?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. Payment for overtime is already made in certain cases as explained in the reply (of which I am sending a copy to the hon. Member) given by me on this subject to the hon. Member for the West Houghton Division on the 14th July last.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the following questions: (1) With reference to the alleged precedent for not holding a court-martial on the survivors of a lost ship in the case of His Majesty's ship "Dominica," whether' he is aware that there were no survivors on whom to hold a court-martial, and the fact that the entire crew was lost is recorded in the "Hampshire Chronicle and Courier" for 3rd June, 1816; and whether he can state in these circumstances how the loss of this ship came to be cited as a precedent?

(2) With regard to the alleged precedent of the loss of the "Bermuda" in 1821 for not holding a court-martial on the crew of a lost warship, whether he is aware that the vessel was lost on passage and never heard of subsequently, and that it was impossible to hold a court-martial because there were no survivors; and whether he can state, in these circumstances, how the loss of this ship came to be cited as a precedent?

(3) With reference to the use of the loss of His Majesty's ship "Comus" on 4th November, 1816, as a precedent for not holding a court-martial in the case of the loss of a warship, whether he is aware that a court-martial did take place and awarded a sentence, and that an account will be found in the Naval Chronicle, volume 36, for 1816; and whether he can state, in these circumstances, how the loss of the ship came to be cited as a precedent?

(4) With reference to the alleged precedent for not holding a court-martial in the case of His Majesty's ship "Confiance," whether he is aware that the "Times" of 2nd May, 1822, shows that the entire ship's crew were lost with the ship so that there were no survivors to court-martial; and whether he can state how the loss of this ship came to be cited as a precedent for not holding courts-martial?

(5) With reference to the alleged precedent for not holding a court-martial in the case of His Majesty's ship "Arab," lost in 1823, whether he is aware that Laird Clowes' History of the Royal Navy records that the ship was lost with all hands, so that no court-martial could take place since there were no survivors to court-martial; and whether he can state how the loss of this ship came to be given as a precedent?

(6) With reference to the alleged precedent of His Majesty's ship "Delight," lost in 1824, for not holding a court-martial, whether he is aware that Commodore Nourse reported to the Admiralty that she was lost in the cyclone with all hands, and that the fact is also stated in Laird Clowes' History of the Royal Navy; and whether he can state, in these circumstances, how the loss of this ship came to be cited as a precedent for not holding a court-martial?

(7) With regard to the alleged precedent for not holding a court-martial in the case of His Majesty's ship "Partridge," officially stated to have been lost on 27th November, 1825, whether he is aware that the ship was lost on 27th November, 1824, and that the records at the Record Office show that the court-martial was held on 4th, 5th, and 7th March of the year 1825; and whether he can state how the Admiralty came to cite the loss of this ship as a precedent for not holding courts-martial?

(8) With reference to the alleged precedent of His Majesty's ship "Acorn," lost in 1828, for not holding a court-martial on the survivors of a lost ship, whether he is aware that the 1843 Return gives this vessel as not heard of, showing that there were no survivors, and that this is confirmed by Laird Clowes' History of the Royal Navy; and whether he can state on what authority the Admiralty rely for the official view that there was no reason to suppose that there were no survivors on whom to hold a court-martial?

(9) With reference to the alleged precedent for not holding a court-martial on the crew in the case of the loss of a ship, His Maesty's ship "Contest," lost in 1828, whether he is aware that the 1843 official Return says the ship was not heard of, showing that there were no survivors on whom to hold a court-martial, and that this information is confirmed by Laird Clowes' and Lecky's Histories; and whether he can state why this ship was included as an example of the loss of a. warship with no ensuing court-martial?

(10) With reference to the alleged precedent of His Majesty's ship "Success," which grounded in 1829, for not holding a. court-martial on the survivors of a lost ship, whether he is aware that this vessel was not included in the official Return, 1843, of lost ships; and whether it is the case that the vessel was successfully salved and, not being a lost ship, there was no obligation under the Act to hold a court-martial?

(11) In view of the exhaustive search made by the Admiralty into the records of lost ships, whether he can explain how His Majesty's ship "Kangaroo," lost in 1829, came to be included among the cases for which no record of a court-martial could be found; and whether he is aware that Hickman's Naval Courts Martial, published in 1850 with the assistance of the Board of Admiralty, records both the court-martial on the crew and the very severe sentence inflicted by the court-martial?

(12) Whether the exhaustive search made by the Admiralty which led to the inclusion of the loss of His Majesty's ship "Wolf" as a precedent for not holding a court-martial in the case of a lost ship included the newspaper Press of the year 1830 and the semi-official work, Hickman's Naval Courts-Martial, since the records of the court-martial and the severe sentence are to be found there?

(13) In the case of His Majesty's ship "Pike," lost in 1836, whether he is aware that there is no foundation for the allegation that no court-martial was held, since a court-martial awarded a sentence; and whether he can state how, in these circumstances, the vessel was cited as the case where no court-martial inquired into the loss of a warship?

(14) With reference to the alleged precedent of His Majesty's ship "Rapid," lost in 1838, for not holding a court-martial in the case of a lost ship, whether he can state why, if the Admiralty had lost the records, no search was made at the Records Office; and whether he is aware that the Admiralty muster books, cheques, and ticket office pay books give the date of the court-martial as 6th June, 1838?

(15) With reference to the alleged precedent for not holding a court-martial in the case of a lost ship, His Majesty's ship "Tribune," lost in 1839, whether he is now aware that a court-martial did take place, and an account of it will be found in the "Times," 18th December, 1839; and whether he can state in these circumstances how the loss of this ship came to be cited as one where no court-martial had taken place?

In the answer given to the hon. and gallant Member, on the 4th March last, it was stated that an exhaustive search, made in the Record Office, had failed to disclose the minutes of any court-martial in the case of certain ships which had been lost, and whose names were given in the answer. This answer was accurate. But the hon. and gallant Member appears to have discovered, from sources other than the Record Office, that there is reason to believe that either courts-martial were held or that there were no survivors. If he is right in his facts, these cases can no longer be cited as precedents.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that men employed by the Board of Works at Donaghadee Harbour, county Down, receive a wage of only 15s. 3d. per week; if the Board of Works have recommended that all labouring men in their employment should have their wages advanced to 18s. per week; and if he will obtain the sanction of the Treasury to this advance?

The question is under consideration.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that in order to provide a new and sanitary school required for the children of Clonbroney, North Longford, a Grant was made in 1912 for the building of a new school in Clonbroney, as a result of which a contract was entered into by the manager of the school, the Reverend P. Markey, P.P., with Messrs. Hetherton and Company to build this school; whether he is aware that, in order to facilitate the erection of this school, the Reverend P. Markey guaranteed payment of the goods required by Messrs. Hetherton to enable them to proceed with the work; that in November, 1914, the Chief Secretary secured a further Grant to be made to supplement local contributions for the proper completion and furnishing of this school; that Messrs. Hetherton incurred a bill of costs with a firm in Waterford amounting to £70 17s. for material supplied, in order to complete the work; and that now, when this contract was declared and entered into, the reverend manager was informed that, in consequence of an order from the Treasury refusing money for any purpose other than what they called necessitous work, the contract would not be recognised; whether he is aware that when the reverend manager applied to the Board of Education in Ireland for the necessary money to enable him to pay Messrs. Hetherton, the contractors, they repudiated all liability, and refused to issue the money required for this work; whether it is to be part of the new policy of the Government to stop such work even where contracts were entered into long before the War; and whether he will take steps to secure that the Treasury will make good their promise to the reverend manager of this school in order to relieve Father Markey from being penalised with a writ which is threatened to be served on him in connection with this matter?

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that in 1912, on the application of the Rev. C. O'Farrell, P.P., the manager, they sanctioned a Grant of two-thirds of the estimated cost towards the erection of a new schoolhouse at Clonbroney, county Longford. A contract for the erection of the new school was duly entered into by the manager, who, however, died before the work of building was begun, and was succeeded by the present manager, the Rev. P. Markey, P.P. The latter having, in March, 1914, offered a new site for the proposed school, the Commissioners sanctioned the change, involving cancellation of the original Grant, and in November, 1914, sanctioned a new Grant equivalent to two-thirds of the cost of the proposed building. In consequence of the manager's representations as to the poverty of the school district, the amount of the Grant was subsequently increased approximately to five-sixths of the estimated cost, this increase necessitating the transfer from the manager to the Board of Works of the responsibility for executing the work. Before the preliminaries to a new contract could be completed the Treasury issued instructions restricting the issue of further Grants, where contracts had not already been made, to cases in which schools would otherwise have to be closed. The condition of the existing schoolhouse in this case was not such as to justify exceptional treatment. The Commissioners regret that they are unable to help the manager in his difficulty, which appears to result from his having become surety for the contractor.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, with reference to the sale of the Mahon Estate, Strokestown, County Roscommon, if a number of the agreements to purchase, lodged with the Land Commission in 1905, have been withdrawn from the sale at the request of the landlord and against the wishes of the tenants in occupation, these tenants having agreed to the terms of the Commissioners as fixed by their inspector, and as the holdings that have been vested are intermixed with those that have not been vested will the bonus be withheld from the landlord pending the completion of the sale of the entire estate scheduled, as it was intended to bridge over the difference between landlord and tenant; and if he will state what steps the Commissioners have taken to acquire the 1,400 acres of grass lands on this estate convenient to the town, or if the Land Commission intend taking any steps to purchase the same for distribution among the tenants in the town who have none, and who are anxious to acquire the same for the purpose of feeding a cow and growing vegetables for their families?

In the case of certain holdings on the estate referred to, which are sub-let, either the owners of the intervening interests refused to sell at the amounts fixed by the Estates Commissioners as the value of their interests or the sub-tenants in occupation refused to lodge in cash the difference between the purchase money of the holdings and the sums the Commissioners were prepared to advance under the Land Purchase Acts. These and other holdings in which also the tenants refused to lodge in cash the difference between their purchase moneys and the advances the Commissioners were prepared to make have been excluded from the sale. There are also some holdings and parcels of land the vesting of which has had to be deferred owing to the refusal of the tenants to fence the parcels and to consent to the consolidation of such parcels with their holdings. The Commissioners have no power to withhold payment of the bonus payable on the holdings which have been vested in the purchasing tenants, and the purchase money of which has been advanced. The lands referred to in the concluding portion of the question are comprised in the owner's demesne, and were expressly reserved by him from the lands for the sale of which he instituted proceedings before the Commissioners, under the Irish Land Act, 1903. The Commissioners have not taken any steps to acquire these lands, nor do they propose to do so.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether any advances are being made under the Land Purchase Acts at present; and how much money has been advanced since the beginning of January of this year for sales both of tenanted and untenanted land?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The information asked for in the second part of the question is being obtained, and I shall communicate with the hon. Member on the subject.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Land Commission has yet been able to supply each county council in Ireland with lists of defaulters in connection with land purchase; and, if not, how soon may such long-promised lists be given?

The Land Commission, as promised in their letter of the 1st September last to the General Council of County Councils, have arranged to furnish the councils, immediately after the next annual deduction from the Guarantee Fund, with lists of defaulting tenant purchasers against whom legal proceedings are taken.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he is aware that, according to the Railway Returns issued by his Department, the expenditure of railway companies in the United Kingdom has increased during the forty-three years from 1869 to 1912 by over 290 per cent., this increase being coincident with an increase of only 200 per cent. in gross receipts; whether he is aware that the gross receipts per mile have almost doubled during the same period; that the locomotive during that period has greatly increased in efficiency, and has almost doubled in tractive power; whether he will take steps in order to secure the more economical working of the railways and to remove the handicap imposed upon British trade by the present system of management; (2) whether he is aware that the disproportionate increase in the expenditure of railway companies as compared with the gross receipts during the forty-three years from 1869 to 1912 has been attributed by Sir Charles Owens, in his evidence before the Royal Commission on Railways, to, amongst other things, increase in the cost of railway material; whether he is aware that the figures published by the Board in their Statistical Abstract are inconsistent with that evidence in that they show that steel, the chief material used by railways, has dropped in price about 80 per cent. during the period in question; and whether he will direct an inquiry to be made as to the working of the railway companies in the United Kingdom, with a view to their more economical management?

It is certainly the case that railway expenditure has increased faster than gross receipts over the period mentioned, but I do not regard this as in itself a proof of faulty management. The chief rise in expenditure has taken place since 1889, and I do not think there can be any doubt that it has been largely due to increased cost of material and wages. Steel, to which my hon. Friend particularly refers, was not used in 1869 nearly so much as at present in railway work, and I may point out that Sir Charles Owens, in his evidence before the Royal Commission, was comparing costs in 1893 and 1913. The present is hardly the time for an inquiry of the kind suggested, and the question is one which comes to some extent within the scope of the Royal Commission on Railways, the sittings of which have been suspended during the War.