asked the President of the Board of Trade in how many cases trade associations in this country exercise a control over prices; and what commodities are affected by such Regulation?

I am not in a position to make a detailed and comprehensive statement of the kind which the hon. Member desires.

May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman will cause inquiry to be made in view of the great importance of this question?

No, Sir. If there is a particular item which is worthy of investigation, I shall be prepared to consider it.

Is it not the fact that associations exist for the control of prices, and, if that is so, cannot we get the information sought for by this House?

May I ask whether this control extends to taxicab fares?

I cannot answer the last question. As regards the other point, I have no statutory powers to make inquiry, and I much doubt whether a roving inquiry, where you have no specific grievance to be investigated, would be desirable.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the present-day cost of maintaining the Food Council?

The present-day cost of maintaining the Food Council, apart. from certain miscellaneous items of expenditure such as postages, rent, telephones, heating and lighting, which are not readily available, is at the rate of £2,613 per annum.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the attention of the Food Council has been called to the recent large decline in the wholesale prices of meat and to the failure of the retailer to pass on the benefit to the consumer: and what steps it is proposed to take?

I understand that the attention of the Food Council has been called to the decline in the wholesale prices of meat in the first two weeks of November as compared with October. As to retail prices, these, of course, differ widely, but a decline is also noticeable in the retail prices shown on the list published each week by the Smithfield Markets' Committee during the same periods. The Food Council have under consideration the general question of meat prices, and I understand that their first Report on this subject will be made to me shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Food Council intends to inquire into the price at which Irish cream is being sold in the North of England, in view of the allegations of profiteering in the sale of this article?

:I understand that. no complaints have been received the Food Council on this subject.

Is my hon. Friend aware that this Irish Free State cream is being brought in by certain societies in the North of Enid m?, and is being sold against English cream at 16s. a gallon?

If my hon. Friend will give me particulars of any cases he has in mind I shall be glad to have them looked into.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the post-marking machines used in the Post Office are made in the United States of America; whether he can state if these machines are protected by British patents; and, if so, whether such patents will be cancelled if manufacture of the machines is not in future carried on in this country?

I am informed that the machines used by the Post Office for the obliteration of postage stamps are made abroad, some by Norwegian and some by American firms. In reply to the second part of the question, it has only been possible to identify one current British patent, the specification of which describes machines of a kind similar to one of the types of machine in use. As regards the third part, it is open to any person interested who alleges that a patented intention is not being worked in the United Kingdom on a commercial scale, to apply to the Patent Office, under Section 27 of the Patents Acts, 1907 and 1919, for a licence under the patent or, as an alternative, the revocation of the patent. No revocation can be ordered or licence granted under the Section unless application be made for that purpose.

also asked the Postmaster-General whether the wireless news service transmitted to ships at sea from the Rugby wireless station is issued by the authority of his Department?

:News messages despatched by the Wireless Press, Limited, are transmitted twice daily from the Rugby station for reception by ships at sea whose owners subscribe to the company's news service. In addition, official news messages compiled by the Foreign Office are transmitted from Rubgy three times a day for reception by all stations whether on land or on ships. In both cases the Post Office is merely the transmitting agency.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, as a result of his inquiries, it is yet possible to make an extension of the limit of £1 which can be withdrawn on demand from the Post Office Savings Bank, irrespective of the amount standing to the depositor's credit?

The inquiries on the question of extending the limit of £1 for a withdrawal on demand from the Post Office Savings Bank are still proceeding, and I am not vet in a position to make a statement on the subject.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will consider thumb-slotting the Telephone Directory with a view to providing an index owing to the bulky composition of this publication?

No, Sir. The work would cost £10,000 year, and would seriously delay publication.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this would be a very great convenience to the public, and as there are 360,000 directories issued each year, the cost would not be very much over all of them?

Quite so, but I am told that it would take 100 men seven weeks to do it.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will take steps to ensure that in future all motor lorries purchased for the use of his Department are of British manufacture?

It is the present practice of the Post Office to purchase motor lorries of British manufacture, and I propose to continue that practice.

Will the right hon. Gentleman state how many lorries, purchased last year were of British manufacture and how many were of foreign manufacture?

All were of British manufacture and none were foreign.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the last delivery of letters in the district of St. George, in the City of Bristol, is timed to be made at 2.15 p.m.; that the last general collection of letters takes place at 6 p.m.; that the 4.45 a.m. collection, which connects with the local first delivery and with the Bristol and Penzance travelling post office, is not made in St. George, because, whilst the city postal area extends to a point four miles distant from the head office in a northerly direction, its boundary is fixed at a distance of two miles in the easterly direction, to the exclusion of St. George; whether he is aware that the district of St. George is an important business and industrial area, wholly within the City of Bristol; that it is handicapped by the lack of the adequate postal facilities which are given to the residential areas; whether his attention has been called to the office accommodation at the St. George office, which has remained unaltered since 1881, the postmen's office being a room 14 feet 5 inches by 9 feet 9 inches, without sanitary accommodation; and whether, seeing that the question of these postal facilities has been the subject of representations to the surveyor for some years past, and having regard to the urgency of securing an improvement in the local collections, he will consider the advisability of erecting an adequate district postmen's office in this locality so as to improve the local postal facilities?

Before this question is answered, Mr. Speaker, may I ask if it is in order for an hon. Member to evade the rule which limits the number of verbal questions to three by putting down a question which itself contains about ten different questions within the scope of one?

All the parts of the question seem to apply to one matter.

I am making inquiries as to the delivery and collection arrangements in these districts, and will communicate the result to the hon. Member in due course. Proposals for the provision of a Postmen's District Office in East Bristol are under 'consideration.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can inform the House when the South African beam station will he completed and available for messages?

The beam stations for communication with South Africa are practically completed and preliminary tests have been carried out by the contractors. The tests indicate that the use of shorter wavelengths than those for which the stations were origiNally designed will probably give a better and more continuous service, and the aerials are accordingly being adjusted to enable these shorter wavelengths to be employed. The contractors anticipate that the necessary alterations can be effected in about seven weeks. Tests under the new conditions will then be necessary before the service can be opened to the public.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is prepared to consider suggestions for making use of the obliterating postmark on letters addressed to foreign countries for the purpose of calling the attention of the recipients to one or other of the many claims possessed by Great Britain as a centre of interest for visitors from abroad?

I am always happy to consider any sugges- tions from my hon. Friend, but I would remind him of the practical difficulty mentioned in reply to his question of the 10th November.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the opportunity which is to be afforded auxiliary sorters of performing full-time duties during the period of Christmas pressure will be upon the basis of the rates of pay paid to the staff normally performing such duties, or upon the basis of the lower rates paid to auxiliary sorters in 3rdinary times?

Auxiliary sorters employed on full-time duties during the Christmas pressure period will be paid, at their option, either at the flat rate applicable to the special Christmas staff, or at the rate and under the conditions applicable to them at other periods of the year when temporarily employed on full-time duties.

Will the right hon. Gentleman see to it that none of these auxiliary postmen is paid less wages than those actually received for unemployment pay last year?

I cannot say that.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has any statistics which show the extent to which the freights of British shipping companies have been increased since 1st May last; and whether he can state the extent to which these increased charges are paid by British consumers and in respect of what articles?

The answer is a long one, and my hon. Friend will perhaps agree to my circulating it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give artificial silk prices per pound for good average "A" quality British and imported Continental yarns in June, 1925, before the imposition of the tax and in August, 1926?

As the statement desired by my hon. Friend includes a number of detailed figures, I will, with the permission of the House, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

May I ask whether the figures do not provide an overwhelming vindication of the fact that under Protection the consumer does not pay the duty?

The figures show that in the two periods in question there has been a reduction in price in the latter as compared with the former period.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is now in a position to say when the obsolete American Peerless armoured car, still on the establishment of Yeomanry armoured car units, will be replaced by a more modern type of British make?

I regret that I cannot yet say.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will either reform the Machine-gun Corps, if necessary, at the expense of existing units, or equip a certain number of existing battalions as machine-gun units; and, if not, what steps he will take to ensure that there shall be mobile bodies of machine gunners free for detached use in time of war?

It is not proposed to reform the Machine-gun Corps, but methods of increasing the machine-gun strength of the Army are at present under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Private George Lawrie, No. 24578 King's Own Scottish Borderers, received a statement of accounts, dated 30th January, 1919, on his discharge from the Army, showing that the sum of £10 10s. had been lodged with the Post Office Savings Bank in his name; that Lawrie mislaid this statement of accounts, and on finding it again wrote the paymaster, who advised him to write the Savings Bank for further information; that this was done, and Lawrie informed that £10 10s. had been paid in in his name on the 30th January, 1910, but this had been cancelled on the 12th February, 1979, by the regimental paymaster; that Lawrie, on communicating this information to the pay office, has been told that nothing further can be done; why this account was cancelled; upon whose authority the paymaster cancelled the account; and when this money will be paid to George Lawrie?

I am having inquiries made, and will cam,. municate with the hon. Member in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for 'War why permission was granted for a candidate in the recent municipal elections to enter the barracks at Pontefract; and is it with his approval that soldiers were conveyed from the barracks to the polling booths in cars with non-commissioned officers in charge?

As regards the first part of the question, no such permission was granted. As regards the second part, three motor cars were allowed in barracks to pick up those who desired to vote. The voters included sergeants, married non-commissioned officers, and a few men. The motor cars were not in charge of non-commissioned officers.

May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that at least one Tory candidate did make several visits to the barracks; and can he explain whether the motor cars which took these soldiers to vote were cars belonging to the same Tory candidate?

I do not know to whom the cars belonged, but there is nothing objectionable in allowing motor cars to take voters to the poll.

May I ask whether cars belonging to the Labour party would have been permitted as well?

Certainly. There is absolutely no distinction between cars belonging to Labour candidates and cars belonging to Tory candidates.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether be has yet received the report of the arbiter for the sheep stock valuations at Erribof; and whether he will lay it and the minute of reference to the arbiter with all accompanying instructions upon the Table of the House?

:The arbiter's award has not yet been received. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my replies to the questions he addressed to me on Wednesday last.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give us an assurance that when this Report is received we shall be allowed to have all the details that concern this estate, which belongs to the nation and for whose administration this House is responsible?

No, Sir. As I have said, I am prepared to give the information after the award has been made.

As this estate was purchased origiNally for the purpose of small holdings and has been resold by the Government, surely this House is entitled to know the reasons why it was first purchased and then resold, and the price at which this stock was sold?

Surely we are entitled to; know the terms on which part of a national estate has been sold?

Has this estate been sold at a reduced price?

I have already answered that point, and it is within the knowledge of the House at what price the estate was sold.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give the price paid for this estate?

I think that was given the other day.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that the Board of Agriculture took over some years ago the sheep stock on the farm of Armadale at a Martinmas valuation; whether any sum and, if so, what sum, and for what number of sheep, was paid to the vendor as compensation for the valuation not being held at 'Whitsunday; and whether any additional sum and, if so, what sum was paid on the same grounds per head of the cost ewes marketed between Whitsunday and the Martinmas of entry?

The answer to the first part of the question in in the affirmative. A sum of £1,000 was paid by the Board of Agriculture to the tenant in full settlement of his claims arising from his agreement to vacate the farm at Martinmas, 1919, instead of Whitsunday, 1921, which was the natural termination of the lease. This payment was a lump sum covering several heads of claim. These included one in respect of a Martinmas in place of a Whitsunday valuation, but the total payment was not apportioned among the several heads. The number of the sheep stock taken over at Martinmas, 1919, was 2,310. In addition to this payment the sum of 10s. per head was fixed by the arbiter as arranged by the Board with the tenant in respect of the acclimatisation value of the 260 cast ewes sold off the farm between Whitsunday and Martinmas, 1919.

Did not the right hon. Gentleman say, in answer to a question which I asked last week, that he was unable to recall a precedent for a Martinmas valuation, whereas his own Department—not himself—was involved in such a transaction only seven years ago? Will he further say whether the precedent in this case for a special compensation for a Martinmas as opposed to a Whitsunday valuation—compensation such as had to be paid by the Board of Agriculture when they got the estate—will be followed now that the Board of Agriculture are selling the estate?

As far as my recollection goes, I was answering a supplementary question as to whether I knew—

Not a supplementary question.

Well, I did not know of any other case. I have inquired since, and the hon. and gallant Genleman has got his answer now. As regards compensation, it is not solely concerned with the point of whether it was a Martinmas or a Whitsunday valuation.

Is it not a fact that part of this payment is due to the Martinmas valuation, and is the State receiving any compensation on account of the Martinmas valuation now that it is selling the property?

As in most business transactions, the sale has to be arranged on the best terms which can be agreed under the circumstances, and the circumstances in each case will vary. I am not at all prepared to say that this is in any way a precedent for any future action.

Does this not show the difficulties which would arise if every farm were nationalised?

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that the administration of the Coal Emergency Directions, 1926, issued from his Department td the Poplar Borough Council has cost the council up to date the sum of £187; and if the Government will reimburse the Poplar Council and other authorities the amount of their expenses in carrying out his Department's directions?

:Under the Local Authorities (Coal Emergency) Order, 1926, made by the Minister of Health on the 1st May last, local authorities are required to meet these expenses out of the rates, and the Government does not see its way to varying this arrangement.

asked the Secretary for Mines if the Government will undertake to continue the prohibition of the export of coal for domestic use until such time as the home consumers are no longer limited as to the quantity that they may purchase, and until such time as the cost to the home consumer is brought down to a reasonable figure?

The Government will certainly bear in mind the considerations mentioned by my hon. and gallant Friend, and I agree that inland requirements must be met before exports can be permitted.

May I ask whether the Minister is aware that public opinion holds that people are being charged considerably more than is justified by the circumstances of the case?

That is a matter for argument.

asked the Secretary for Mines if, taking the pit-head price of coal at 50s., he can say how this charge is made up in detail, and give the corresponding detail is for the pit-head price of similar coal in April last?

I regret that the information is not available. In present circumstances, prices are much more affected by short supplies than by production costs. At the same time, the partial returns to work entails wide differences in costs, so that a price which may be very remunerative to a colliery working at. full strength may be insufficient to cover costs at one where only a fraction of the normal output is obtained.

Would it not be possible to obtain this information?

No, Sir; as I tried to explain, the circumstances vary with every colliery.

Will the hon. Gentleman say how it is, when control is being exercised by the Mines Department., that the scarcity of coal should raise the prices, and why that should be included as a cost of production?

I think the hon. Member must find his own answer to that question.

I never put questions in this House to find my own answer. I put the question to the Secretary for Mines in the hope that with all his years of experience he might have reached that stage of being able—

Mr. Everard.

asked the Secretary for Mines how many tons of coal are at the present time lying idle in trucks waiting consignment instructions; and how many tons have been so lying for over one week?

I regret that definite information is not available, but I believe that the amount is comparatively small. It would be most laborious to obtain fuller particulars, and, by the time they were obtained, they would be useless, for the position obviously changes from day to day.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that great dissatisfaction is felt among manufacturers that they cannot obtain coal to a very large amount, owing to the fact that his Department has not given instructions?

I think the position is not quite as my hon. Friend describes. I hope that in the course of the next few days it will materially change.

Will my right hon. Friend consider relaxing the instructions as to the delivery of coal to manufacturing concerns, in order to relieve unemployment?

Yes, Sir; I am hoping to make a statement on this subject to-morrow on a Private Notice question which I understand is going to be asked:

asked the Minister of Transport the names of those local authorities who work their own quarries to produce the material for the repair and reconstruction of the roads under their control; and whether those employed in those quarries are paid on the same scale of wages as the employés of other quarry undertakings under the joint industrial councils?

:No records are available in my Department showing what local authorities work quarries for the purposes of highway construction and maintenance.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the inconvenience to the public and the danger to traffic of the clouds of steam and showers of sparks that frequently issue from steam lorries; and whether he will take steps to deal with this nuisance?

The matters referred to are under consideration in connection with the Bill dealing with the regulation of road vehicles generally, which I hope will be presented to the House at no distant date.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether restrictions will be placed upon these vehicles going into the West-End in the day time?

The hon. Member had better wait and see.

As the right hon. Gentleman has been promising this Bill "at no distant date" for two years, can he tell us whether we are getting any nearer to it?

It approaches nearer and nearer.

Have the Government no authority at the present moment to prevent this nuisance in the streets of London and other towns?

I do not agree that there is no authority.

Is it not correct to say there are Regulations dealing with the emission of smoke and steam from steam vehicles; if so, when will they be operated?

I think that is a matter for the local authorities, and not the Minister of Transport.

In order to prevent people from using that form of power, is it not necessary to tell them where to get fuel that does not give out sparks and Smoke?

asked the Minister of Transport if he can inform the House of the amount that has been spent on the creation of now roads during the past 12 months; what the additional mileage has been; and whether he can give any outline of the activities in this direction which his Department is desirous of completing during the forthcoming year?

The grants from the Road Fund towards the cost of constructing new roads reached a total approximately £955,000 during 1925–26, and grants to an amount of roughly £850,000 have been made towards the same purpose since the 1st April last, apart from a grant towards the current expenditure on constructing the Mersey Tunnel. I have not called for a special return from local authorities giving the figures asked for by my hon. Friend and they would take some time to ascertain. As regards the last part of the question, my hon. Friend will appreciate that the decision regarding the initiation of additional works lies very largely within the discretion of the different local authorities throughout the Kingdom, whose policy I am unable to forecast.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in order to avoid the confusion and difficulties that now exist in ascertaining what the laws really are for mechanically propelled vehicles, he will have the laws codified and incorporated in one Act or embody all those sections of Acts relating to mechanically propelled vehicles in one Act?

I hope to have the opportunity of introducing before long a. Bill with the object of amending, and to a large extent consolidating, the law relating to road vehicles, and at the same time of repealing a number of the older enactments.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty which of His Majesty's ships afloat have the general messing system in force; whether a naval cookery officer is borne in each ship; and who is responsible for the general messing?

General messing is in force in 21 ships, of which I will send my hon. Friend details, if he desires. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative, and as regards the last part, the Accountant Officer is responsible.

also asked the Parliamentary Secretary whether he is aware that the paucity in promotion to warrant rank of chief petty officer cooks is caused the age limit for retirement of warrant instructors of cookery remaining at 55 years; and what are the reasons for differentiating in the retiring age between the various classes of naval and marine warrant officers?

Provision has already been made by Admiralty Fleet Order 3034 of 1923 for the reduction of the age of retirement of warrant officers of the cookery branch and other branches not affected by the retirement scheme of 1922, the change being made gradually so as to minimise as tar as possible any hardship to officers a ready promoted to warrant rank before the 1st July, 1923. The last part of the question does not, therefore, arise.