asked the Prime Minister whether the demand for a Grant for the widow and orphans of Captain Fryatt, assassinated by the German Government, if brought before Parliament in accordance with an intimation to that effect by the right hon. Gentleman, will, having regard to the indignation excited by this crime and the sympathy of the Empire with the family of the victim, be brought before the House of Commons in the most solemn and emphatic manner by a Resolution proposed in Committee of the Whole House to sit on a future day for that purpose, in accordance with the precedents in the cases of Sir H. Havelock, 1857, the widow of the Earl of Elgin, 1864, and, in more recent times, the cases of Lords Wolseley, Kitchener, and Roberts?

As I informed my hon. Friend, I will consider this suggestion, but I am not quite certain yet as to the best form of procedure to adopt.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the respective amounts of Income Tax, including Super-tax, contributed by Great Britain and by Ireland for the years 1914–15 and 1915–16?

The amounts of Income Tax (including Super-tax) contributed by Great Britain and Ireland, respectively, were as follows:

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he has made representations to the Treasury and to the collector of Customs and Excise regarding the levying of the Amusements Tax on agricultural shows and horse-jumping exhibitions; whether he has pointed out to them the importance of these fixtures to the cattle and horse-breeding industries and to the schemes of the Department and their educational value; and whether this tax is still being collected by the Excise authorities?

The reply to the first two queries is in the affirmative. The Department have no information regarding the last query.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if his attention has been called to the decision of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. in refusing to award a pension other than £5 in settlement to S. H. Wallis, No. 16,144, who was discharged from the Navy, having lost the use of a hand in the performance of his duties on active service with the Fleet; and if a grant of this amount is held to be sufficient to meet a claim of this kind?

Wallis was invalided from the Navy on 2lst July, 1915, on account of an injury sustained by him in His Majesty's ship "Vengeance" on 1st April of that year, when he fell down the engine-room hatch and fractured one of the bones of his left hand, which resulted in loss of power in the hand, the nerves being affected. The medical report showed him to be four-tenths disabled, and, in accordance with the recognised scale of disablement pensions, an award of 10s. a week for a year was made, with a small addition for good conduct badge. On the expiry of this award, Wallis was resurveyed and reported to be materially able to contribute to his own support and to be actually in receipt of 35s. a week as an employé of the Post Office. In considering applications for the renewal of pension for disablement, earning capacity (evidenced in this case by actual earnings) has to be taken into consideration, and, under the proposals made by the Select Committee of this House, the total of earnings and pension is limited to 25s. a week. It was, therefore, not permissible to make any further award of pension to Wallis under the new disablement scale. The proviso that men who lose a limb shall in no case get less than 10s. 6d. a week pension is applicable only to cases of amputation, and not to cases of impaired use of the limb. In these circumstances Wallis was granted, under the pre-war Regulations, a gratuity of £5. The Admiralty is, however, at all times ready to consider sympathetically any case of loss of employment owing to injury sustained in the Service, and, if necessary, to resume payment of pension in accordance with the degree to which a man's earning capacity may be impaired. While, however, Wallis retains his present employment, there are no grounds for granting any further pension.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, now that the pension of partially dependent parents has been raised from 5s. to a maximum of 12s. according to rank, it is proposed to make any alteration in the maximum pension of 10s. for totally dependent parents; and whether in both cases only one pension will be given for either one or two parents?

It is not proposed to raise the pension of partially dependent parents to a maximum of 12s. according to rank, but to increase the present 5s. by such an amount as will make the total income up to 10s. or 12s. according to rank, or to the amount of ascertained dependence if less. The question of raising the maximum for totally dependent | parents does not, therefore, arise. Only one pension is given.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will inquire into the case of Mr. and Mrs. Perry, Whitelead Cottages, Chignal St. James, near Chelmsford, Essex, the parents of Gunner J. Perry, 6,223 15th siege battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, British Expeditionary Force, France, and, in particular, if he will see whether this man before he joined the Colours was practically the sole support of his parents, and why, after two years, the parents are still without any Government allowance whatever?

Inquiry is being made, and I will inform my hon. Friend of the result in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he could inform the House as to what is the exact meaning of the instruction issued by the War Office to recruiting officers in connection with the re-examination of men formerly found to be medically unfit, more especially the provision in that instruction which says that men concerning whom the recruiting officer is satisfied that there is no possible doubt will not be summoned for medical re-examination?

The provision about which the hon. Member specially desires information is to be read in connection with another paragraph of the instruction, which lays down that powers of re-examination conferred upon the Army Council by Military Service Act, 1916, Session 2, must be exercised with discretion. This may be taken as meaning that any recruiting officer who has sent a notice summoning a man who was formerly rejected would be entitled, in the event of the production of satisfactory documentary evidence, which need not necessarily be a medical board certificate, to cancel the notice and end the matter entirely, and recruiting officers have been instructed to proceed on these lines. In connection with such documentary evidence there would be no absolute need for the individual to attend the recruiting office in person, it being open to him to send through the post, preferably under registered cover, any documents which he possesses. It would, of course, in the majority of cases, be wiser for the individual concerned to call at the office and to add his personal explanations to the documents which were in his possession. In many cases this might enable the recruiting officer to satisfy himself that the individual to whom the documents related was, in fact, the individual who produced them. It has to be remembered that there are, throughout the country, an appreciable number of persons improperly in possession of rejection certificates, and the work of the recruiting officer in connection with such persons is of extreme difficulty. There seems to be some misunderstanding in the mind of the hon. Member, who appears to believe that every man who receives a notice summoning him for reexamination medically, is necessarily to be called to the Colours for service. Such is, in fact, not the case. Many of those who have already presented themselves voluntarily for re-examination have been again rejected and are thus in no danger of further disturbance. It is to be hoped that the men concerned will recognise that by co-operating with the recruiting officers in their difficult work a great deal of unnecessary friction will be prevented.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if the employer of an unattested workman engaged in a certified occupation is, under penalty, obliged to report to the recruiting officer that he is employing the workman in question; if his attention has been called to the conduct of Captain Burton, the recruiting officer at Bradford, in stating to unattested men engaged in certified occupations and to a trade union secretary, who interviewed him on behalf of one of his members, who is an unattested workman in a certified occupation and who, furthermore, is a married man with a family of five children under thirteen years of age, that no man who has not voluntarily attested is in a certified occupation and that paragraph I. of B. 91, List of Certified Occupations, does not apply to men who have not voluntarily attested; and whether, having regard to the fact that Captain Burton has repeatedly made this statement and that employers and workmen alike are being consequently misled, he will say publicly whether Captain Burton's reading of paragraph I. of R. 94 is correct?

An employer is required under penalties, to keep a list giving particulars of every male person of military age in his employment, and this list must at all reasonable hours be open for inspection by a recruiting officer. An inquiry will be made as to the statements alleged to have been made by Captain Burton. The list of certified occupations R.94 applies to both attested and unattested men, but a man is not exempted from military service by reason only that his occupation is certified, since he is required to obtain an individual certificate, as provided in the Regulations and Instructions.

asked the Secretary of State for War what he has done or proposes to do respecting the alleged bullying of Frederick Crowsley?

What I am doing at present is to have inquiry made. What will be done later depends on the result of the inquiry.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he will see that T. B. Butcher, a private in the 14th Cheshire Regiment, Prees Heath, Whitchurch, Salop, a conscientious objector who has obeyed orders but desires non-combatant work, will be dealt with under the new scheme for conscientious objectors, or whether this applies only to men who decline to obey military orders?

No, Sir, unless a man has put forward, prior to enlistment, the plea of being a conscientious objector, he can not have his case considered as such.

asked whether the decision has been taken to draft to Reserve "W" more Members of this House who are now serving in His Majesty's Army under the provisions of the Military Service Act; and whether Regulations on this subject, will be issued?

Yes, Sir, instructions are being issued that if any Member of Parliament who is certified by a medical board to be unfit for general service, has been already called up, he is to be transferred forthwith to Section "W" of the Reserve, if he so desires. Instructions are also being issued that Members of Parliament who are certified by a medical board to be unfit for general service, are not to be called up under the Military Service Act.

asked whether the senior Member for Merthyr (Mr. Edgar Jones) has obtained an exemption from military service; if so, by what tribunal and on what date was he exempted; and has this case been reviewed under the provisions of the Military Service Act, 1916?

I am making inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the rations allowed to 1,500 German prisoners of war in the island of Jersey consists of 1½ lbs. of bread,½lb. of meat,½ lb. of potatoes, together with allowances of tea, coffee, oatmeal, salt, sugar, vegetables (including peas), and margarine per day; how this ration compares with that given to British prisoners of war in Germany; whether he is aware that the German prisoners in Jersey are given practically no work to do, although there is plenty of work to be done in the island in which they might be employed, and that they spend their time bathing and eating; and, having regard to the slavery to which the German authorities have reduced the prisoners in their hands, whether he will direct that a less luxurious diet be allowed to the German prisoners in Jersey, and that they shall be employed in some useful task, instead of enjoying idleness at the expense of the British taxpayer?

The ration quoted by my hon. Friend is that authorised for prisoners of war in this country and is, certainly, more generous than that supplied to prisoners of war in Germany. The Army Council welcome all opportunities for the profitable employment of prisoners of war, but they are not aware that opportunities for such employment exist in Jersey. Further inquiry is, however, being made to see whether the conditions in this respect have recently changed.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, he is aware that wounded soldiers lying in hospital in France have to buy their own tobacco, matches, stamps, or any other little thing they may need, and that many of them are without any money; and whether arrangements can be made to provide the men with these comforts or necessaries or, alternatively, that the men shall receive an advance of pay to tide them over this period?

I was not aware that the position was as stated by my right hon. Friend, but I am having inquiry made into the matter in France.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that wool-sorters have been given to understand that they will not be employed in sorting the fleece purchased by the Government; whether he is aware that many of these men have been in the trade all their lives and will be thrown out of work almost immediately if this policy is to be carried out; and whether arrangements will be made to employ these men on this necessary work or compensate them for the loss they will otherwise sustain?

There is no foundation for the suggestion that wool-sorters will not be employed in sorting the fleeces purchased by the Department.

asked how many Advisory Committees have been formed in Great Britain for the purpose of consultation re the purchase of wool for the Army and the aggregate number of members; and how many representatives of farmers are on the several committees?

A Central Advisory Committee of fifteen members has been constituted for England and Wales, of which four are farmers. Local Advisory Committees have been appointed in each of the thirteen areas into which England and Wales are divided for the purposes of the scheme, and on each of these committees there are three farmers. Eight farmers have been selected to sit on the Central Advisory Committee for Scot- I land. There are no Local Advisory Committees in Scotland.

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that Mr. Spaight and Mr. M'Mahon, timber merchants, Limerick, who are making horse-shoe boxes, refuse to pay the standard rate of wage to the men employed on this work: that, when approached by the representatives of these men, they stated that they had taken the work at such a low price that they could not afford to pay the proper wage; and whether, under these circumstances, he will cancel these contract?

No complaint of the nature referred to has been made to this Department against these firms. Inquiry will be made into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that since November, 1914, repeated representations have been made both to the Local Government Board and to the military authorities by the local sanitary authorities and the East Riding County Council as to the nuisance caused by the sewage from the military camp at Rowlston, in the East Riding of Yorkshire; that an assurance was given to the Local Government Board by the Army Council in March, 19J6, that steps would be taken to remove any further cause for complaint; that notwithstanding this serious cause for complaint does exist; that there is still a nuisance which is a serious menace to the health of the inhabitants of the district; that one end of the field in which the camp is situated adjoins the seashore, and that engineers who have inspected the site have advised that the sewage could, without serious expense, be discharged into the sea; and whether he will give instructions for the necessary steps to be taken to abate the nuisance and for the work to be carried out forthwith?

The sanitary engineering officer to the War Of ice has already arranged to visit the locality and to report upon the alleged nuisance, and I hope to receive a full report in the course of a few days. This matter was brought to notice some six months ago, but on inquiry it was found that at that time the arrangements made were satisfactory.

asked whether, where railway warrants have been issued by the War Office, the charge for which is entirely borne by the public, these warrants will not be discharged till the end of the War?

The question my hon. and gallant Friend asks does not admit of a definite answer. I shall be happy to explain more fully if he would inform me privately as to the exact meaning of his inquiry.

asked what wages are paid the civilian staff of clerks in the Army Pay Office, Dublin; whether some 600 of these clerks are paid a less wage than the military staff clerk for doing exactly the same work under worse conditions; if so, what is the difference in the wage of the two classes of clerks referred to; whether this inequality is to continue; and, if so, why?

The temporary civilian clerks, to whom I think the hon. Member refers, are paid 35s. a week, and there are 193 of them in the Army Pay Offices in Dublin. Their conditions of service are quite different from those of clerks in the Army Pay Corps, who are liable for service abroad, and it is not proposed to alter the rates of pay.

asked how many hospitals are in the control of his Department in London; are the surgeons and medical advisers paid by the War Office and, if so, whether quarterly or monthly; are the nursing staff paid quarterly or monthly; and are these latter payments, stating same, made promptly, or within what time after they become due?

The number of hospitals in the London district is 186, of which 158 are auxiliary hospitals. A very large amount of the work performed in military and other hospitals in London and elsewhere is gratuitous. The surgical, medical, and some of the other staff paid by the War Office are paid monthly in arrear; the remainder are paid weekly. The rates for the nursing staff vary. There is no reason to suppose that the payments are not made promptly.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that numerous complaints are being made with reference to the severity of the training and the inadequacy of the food at Wang-ford Camp, Suffolk; if he is aware that in the middle of last month, July, a company of the 2/4th West Riding Regiment, along with others, after a normally heavy day at company drill, etc., about nine o'clock at night were sent to a hill some distance away, where they were at work trench digging until after one o'clock in the morning; that next day they were up at the usual hour, and sent off on the longest route march they had had so far, extending over a distance of twenty-one miles, with full kit, rifle, and 200 rounds of ammunition; that for dinner that day they had only a half-pint of stew and two potatoes per man; that men fell out not in ones or twos but in whole batches, and that those who stuck it to the end were dazed, footsore, and absolutely done up, and could hardly raise their rifles when ordered to slope arms; that for tea that day they had only two pieces of bread-and-butter and a bit of lettuce; that there was as usual no further official meal that day; and that the following day they had to be up at the usual hour and go through an ordinary day's heavy training, though in a state of exhaustion; and if he proposes to take any action in the matter?

No complaints to the effect stated in the question have been received, but inquiries are being made, and if it is found that the conditions are as stated in the question, immediate action will be taken.

asked if at Wangford Camp, Suffolk, about a fortnight ago a soldier, a member of the 2/5th West Riding Regiment, committed suicide as a consequence of the treatment to which he had been subjected in that camp; if it is a common occurence at tea for the men to have only one loaf for twelve men; if men are reported and often punished for the most insignificant and trivial matters; and if they are short of even the most ordinary medical supplies?

The War Office have no information either that the soldier committed suicide or that if he committed suicide it was due to the reasons stated, but inquiry is being made into all the points included in this question.

asked why Irish prisoners interned at Wandsworth were subjected to solitay confinement and forbidden to speak to each other under threat of being put on bread and water?

Perhaps my hon. Friend will be good enough to repeat this question on Monday next, when I shall be in possession of information to enable me to answer.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if Army officers living on the London and South-Westem Railway are charged full rates for monthly season tickets; and, if so, whether he can get arrangements made to enable them to obtain season tickets at the same rates as Canadian officers, namely, half rates?

My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The concession referred to was made, unknown to the War Office, by the Railway Executive Committee as a compliment to Canadian officers. It is impossible to extend it to Army officers generally who presumably prefer to live in the country and travel up to Iondon for their work. If they travel on special duty, of course they travel with warrants.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he has made any arrangements for restricting the export of mica from India; and, if so, who are the Government agents, and have they any German connections?

The export of mica from India to countries other than the United Kingdom and British Possessions is prohibited save under special licence. At the request of the Minister of Munitions, Messrs. Christian and Company have been appointed Government agents for the purchase in India of such grades as are specially required for the manufacture of munitions. So far as I am aware there is no German element in the firm.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether Members of Parliament who use their motor cars solely in the public welfare of their constituencies will be treated as a private owner who uses his car for pleasure only?

I am clear that no differentiation can be made between Members of Parliament and other private owners. Members of this House should be the first to set a good example.

asked whether assistant county surveyors who use motor bicycles for the purpose of overseeing direct labour on roads, and who have a stipulated distance to travel every month, will be limited to a 2-gallon supply, the same as those who use motor cycles for pleasure only?

I am not sure that it is practicable at present to increase the allowance of petrol to any classes of persons who require it for motor cycles, but I will consider the somewhat special case which the hon. Member has in mind.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will lay upon the Table the Report of the Committee charged with the business of examining into the case of Haigh Gruban?

The Reports made by the Advisory Committee are of a confidential character, and if they were written with a view to possible publication would lose a great part of their value. Further, this Report in particular affects very closely the interests of persons other than Mr. Gruban, and expresses opinions on matters which are now the subject of litigation in the Courts. I can, therefore, do no more than quote the conclusions of the Report, which are as follows:

"Giving the whole matter their most careful consideration, the Committee have come to the conclusion that the charges made against Mr. Gruban of commercial dishonesty are not within the scope of their authority, the charges made against him of being pro-German and anti-British have not been made out and the charges made against him of breach of the regulations of the Ministry of Munitions will be dealt with by that Ministry."

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the decision of the Federal Court in favour of England in the case of the "Appam," whether he can state if the German Government is appealing to the Supreme Court or what is the last date on which such an appeal can be lodged; and whether the owners can claim damages?

His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington has not yet reported that any appeal has been lodged. I regret that I have not the necessary information to enable me to reply to the last two parts of the question, but I will cause inquiry to be made. I presume that the damages which the hon. Member has in mind are damages for the continued detention of the vessel pending an eventual appeal.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the visé of a British Consul is in practice nearly always given to a neutral's passport for the United Kingdom; and, in view of the part neutrals have played in the spy work in this country and in the Irish rebellion, whether the Government will consider the desirability of placing considerable restrictions on neutral access to this country by refusing the visé unless there is clear proof as to the bona fides of the applicant?

Where any doubt exists as to the bona fides of the applicant the visa is and will be refused.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he can state the prospects at present for the coming harvest?

Information of the position on 1st August is being sent in by the Board's crop reporters, and is being tabulated as rapidly as possible. The results will be available early next week, and will be published without delay.

asked the Vice-President, of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) if he will give the names of the bodies amongst whom was distributed the sum of £9,000 given by the agricultural branch of his Department to its technical instruction branch for the year 1914–15 for manual instruction and domestic economy in rural districts, and the amount set aside for each of those bodies, as notified to the Technical Instruction Board?

The £9,000 voted by the Agricultural Board for the purposes of manual instruction and domestic economy in rural districts forms part of a general fund, with the £55,000 set apart under Section 16 (1) (c) of the Agriculture and Technical Instruction Act, 1899, for the purposes of technical instruction, from which contributions are made towards schemes of technical instruction administered by the committees appointed by the county, county boroughs, and urban district councils throughout Ireland. Committees appointed for the thirty-three administrative counties, and two joint urban and rural district committees, participated in the Grant of £9,000 referred to, but no portion of the Department's contribution to the schemes administered by these committees is specifically charged against this Grant, which, as already mentioned, forms part of a general fund.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that five tenants were evicted from the lands of Cloonyross, county Tipperary, in 1880; that Mr. W. P. Hanly, Lanespark, subsequently became tenant and afterwards purchased the lands under the Irish Land Act, 1896; whether he is aware that Mr. Hanly redeemed the annuity payable to the Irish Land Commission out of these lands in March of this year; that he has partitioned the lands and sold them to purchasers, receiving a fine from the purchasers and reserving an annual rent per acre; and, having regard to the principles of the Irish Land Acts, whether he can state what steps the Government will take to prevent the re-establishment of a new system of landlordism in Ireland?

The Estates Commissioners received applications from four persons seeking reinstatement as tenants, or the representatives of tenants, evicted from holdings on Cloonyross on the Perceval estate, county Tipperary, and provided them with new holdings on untenanted land acquired under the Irish Land Act, 1903. Mr. Hanly did not purchase the lands of Cloonyross under the Land Purchase Acts. Patrick Cody, as tenant in occupation, entered into an agreement to purchase them in 1893 under the Act of 1891, and they were vested in him as owner in fee simple in November, 1894. He subsequently transferred them to Mr. Hanly, by whom the outstanding instalments of the land purchase annuity were redeemed in March last. The Commissioners have no information as regards any I subsequent sub-division of the lands and I their consent to any such sub-division is not necessary, as the lands are not subject to any land purchase annuity. There does not appear in this case to have been any infringement of existing land laws, and further legislation, even if desirable, is not practicable at this juncture.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state definitely at what date the Irish prison warders may expect to be in full possession of the I improved rate of pay sanctioned almost four months ago by the Treasury; and whether the new scheme of reorganisation for the improvement of the pay of those officers involves the taking away of extra allowances given to men holding promoted posts, such as clerk warders, hospital warders, storekeeper warders, etc; and, if so, will any provision be made to fully compensate the warders holding such appointments?

I would refer to my reply | of to-day to a question of the hon. Member j for the Ossory Division of Queen's County. It is intended that the now scales of payment should, as far as possible, provide j for the special posts for which allowances are now paid.