asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will ascertain from the duty book at Store Street police station, Dublin, and say how many men were on duty, where, and at what hours from the proclamation of the Irish republic at noon on 24th April last until the police were withdrawn on 25th April; and whether any of the police were shot by insurgents in that time?

From noon on the 24th April thirty-eight men belonging to the Store Street station were on duty on the streets policed from that station until two o'clock, and from three o'clock on the same date forty men from the same station were on duty on the streets until 6 a.m. on 25th April, when they were withdrawn. No member of the Store Street police station was shot or wounded on the dates mentioned, as upon the murder of two constables elsewhere in the city the police of the division were withdrawn from the region where firing was going on.

asked the Home Secretary whether prison warders in England have been given an increase in pay since the commencement of the War; and whether this increase has been accompanied by the stoppage and forfeiture of any special allowances enjoyed by the warders?

The prison warders, in common with other Civil servants, have been given a war bonus. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, on the 24th November, the Wheat Commission disposed of a parcel of 4,000 tons of Blue Stem or Walla Walla wheat, of which they sold 2,000 tons to merchants at Bristol for shipment to Avonmouth at 80s. per quarter and the remaining 2,000 tons to Liverpool at 75s. per quarter, or 5s. less; if so, will he say why West of England millers are thus penalised; and whether he will consider the desirability of stopping this practice of differential treatment of purchasers of the same commodity and thus check the pressure upon the railways and the inconvenience consequent upon purchases by millers of their grain from distant rather than from neighbouring ports?

The prices quoted are correct, but the wheat was not part of the same parcel nor was it in the same position as to date of shipment. Both prices, were strictly in accord with the values of the wheat in the different positions at the time, but it has since been found possible to raise the price for parcels to Liverpool to 78s., leaving the price of cargoes to Bristol and elsewhere at 80s.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, during the last six weeks, not a single ton of linseed has been shipped from Argentina to Great Britain, but, after purchase by German agents of the whole Argentine crop, one-third has gone to the United States and the remaining two-thirds to Holland and Scandinavia; and, if so, seeing that linseed and linseed cake are among the most important raw materials in the home production of milk and meat, and that we are apparently now dependent entirely upon India for future supplies of linseed, he will take steps to obtain therefrom the largest possible quantity of this essential commodity without delay and secure a reduction of the present very high freights approximating to £9 per ton, now charged for its shipment from that country?

Out of the total shipment from the Argentine of 3,350,000 quarters of linseed since the 1st January last, 910,000 quarters were sent to this country, 1,120,000 quarters to the United States, and 1,303,000 to the Continent of Europe. The last recorded shipment to this country was on 26th October, and to the Continent on 23rd November. The position, therefore, is not as suggested in the first part of the question. With regard to the last part, the hon. Member may rest assured that the situation in respect of supplies of linseed is being carefully watched and that every available means of bringing fresh supplies to this country are being utilised.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether the Board, like other Government Departments, have applied or propose to apply to the War Office or to the Military Prisoners of War Allocation Committee for German prisoners to be employed directly by the Board upon any scheme for the cultivation of at present uncultivated land, the manning of peripatetic motor or steam-ploughing plant, threshing machines, and engines, or other agricultural machinery or otherwise, with a view to the greater output and availability of home-grown food either in 1917 or 1918; and, if so, will he give particulars?

The Board have no power themselves to employ military prisoners for the purposes indicated, and consequently have not applied to the War Office or to the Military Prisoners of War Allocation Committee for the allocation of such prisoners. They have, however, been for a long time past in communication with the War Office and the Home Office in the endeavour to obtain, under suitable conditions, the services of both military and civilian prisoners for work under private employers on the land, and I hope to be able to make an early statement on the subject.

asked the Attorney-General whether he is in a position to inform the House of the result of his promised inquiries in connection with Mr. Muir's statement in the Royal Army Clothing Factory case?

Lord Rothermere has instituted the most careful inquiry, in order to determine whether any difficulties were placed in the way of the prosecution by his Department, and has satisfied himself that there were none.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland on what Section of the Old Age Pensions Act the Local Government Board for Ireland rely in attributing property in land and stock to old persons who in fact have none; how long after the loss of effective ownership and of legal ownership of property, respectively, does the fact of having formerly owned property debar persons otherwise entitled from getting old age pensions; and, seeing that James and Anne Reilly, now lodgers at Kilmore, Streete, are certified by the Coole Pension Sub-Committee to have ceased to be effective owners some years before a legal assignment of land became necessary, and are found by the inspector to have no property, whether a fresh claim by them will be considered?

I must refer the hon, Member to the replies given to his previous questions in regard to these cases. The Board does not attribute property to people unless it is satisfied that they have it. Each case of appeal is dealt with by the Board on its merits.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has received a memorial from the people of Rathdowney town and district asking for the restoration of the morning mail delivery service and the outgoing mail service in that town and district; and whether, having regard to the loss and inconvenience caused to the professional and business people of that locality and that there is practically no saving effected by the change, he will grant the usual collections and deliveries?

I find that it was necessary to curtail the services in the district in order to avoid the appreciable increase of expenditure which has been incurred in maintaining the former deliveries and dispatches. Similar changes have been made elsewhere, and I should not be justified in treating Rathdowney exceptionally by restoring the former arrangements. But the services can be rearranged at no great cost, so as to provide an early morning delivery in the district generally, an early morning dispatch, a delivery about 11 a.m. in the village only, and an evening dispatch at 10 p.m. If this change would meet the convenience of the residents, I will give instructions for it to be carried out as soon as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General how many women have resigned from the telephone service in London during the last twelve months; if the main cause of these resignations is the inade- quacy of the pay and the conduct of supervising officers; and whether he is taking any steps to deal with this situation?

Including resignations for the purpose of marriage, the number of telephonists in London who resigned during the past twelve months was 661 out of a total of over 4,000. I cannot say how many resigned to take up more lucrative employment outside. I am not aware of any ground of complaint against the supervising staff.