SIR JOHN BAKER (Portsmouth): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Her Majesty's Government are taking into consideration the case of the families of British officers slain by the French at Waima, on British territory, in December, 1893; and, having regard to the period of time that has elapsed since the occurrence of the incident in question, whether a reasonable advance on the amount of the compensation recoverable from the French might be made in such cases as may be in urgent need? DOUBLE INCREMENT FOR TELE- COLONEL DALBIAC (Camberwell, N.): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he can state how many telegraph clerks have received the double increments for technical telegraphy and postal qualifications; whether, seeing that female telegraphists in the large offices cannot qualify for the postal increment, he is aware that the concessions are of no value to tele graphists in the small country offices, the postal increment not being extended to them, and no facilities existing for them to acquire technical certificates and whether, seeing that the Controller of the Central Telegraph Office and the chief electrician to the Post Office stated in their evidence to the Tweedmouth Committee that men of five years' service were underpaid, that their wages were scarcely sufficient to keep the men, and that the commercial value of their services was much higher than the wages received, the Postmaster General is prepared to consider the question, with a view to giving effect to the recommendation of these expert witnesses? MR. HANBURY: The number, of tele graphists who have received a double increment for technical qualifications is 286, and the number who have received a double increment for dual (postal and It was telegraph) qualifications is 15. never intended that the double increment for dual qualifications should apply to women in any office, because they nowhere do the work of sorters only; nor THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR to men sorting clerks and telegraphists THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN, in the smaller offices, where they are Birmingham, W.): The case is under con- trained, as a matter of course, in both All telesideration, but there are also other telegraph and postal work. British claims and some counter-claims graphists, whether in large or small which have been put forward by the offices, are eligible to obtain a double French Government. Her Majesty's increment for technical qualifications on Government hope that all these claims production of the prescribed certificates. may ultimately be made the subject of The Tweedmouth Committee had the friendly settlement or reference, but as evidence of the Controller of the Central this will necessarily take time I am Telegraph Office and the chief electrician inquiring into the circumstances of the to the Post Office before them when they families of the deceased officers with a framed the recommendations which were view of seeing whether such temporary embodied in their Report; but they were arrangement as is suggested in the Ques- two out of several witnesses, and their tion may not be made. evidence went to show that the pay during the whole period of service was OMAGH POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS. adequate, and even liberal. I may MR. MURNAGHAN (Tyrone, Mid): remind the honourable Member, how- I beg to ask the Secretary to the ever, that the Postmaster General and Treasury, as representing the Postmaster I have specially dealt with the case of General, whether he is aware that the these junior telegraphists, and have made postal arrangements in Omagh cause it possible for them to obtain a triple general dissatisfaction; whether he is increment at 21 years of age, instead of aware that delays occur in delivery altowaiting until they are 24. gether unnecessary, as in the case of a letter having the Belfast official stamp ARMY PENSIONERS AND THE POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK. MR. WEIR: I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the fact that Army pensioners receive their pensions quarterly, he will consider the advisability of printing on the pension warrants some of the inany advantages of investment in the Post Office Savings Bank, so that they may have an opportunity of making provision for the ensuing three months? MR. BRODRICK : The honourable Member's suggestion will be considered. SCOTCH LAW OFFICERS' SALARIES. MR. WEIR: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, having regard to the fact that a sum of £14,429 is set down in the Estimates for 1897-8 for salaries in the Lord Advocate's Department, and that the salaries to the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General-namely, £5,000 and £2,000 per annum respectively are to cover all business of whatever sort done by them in virtue of their office, will he explain why a sum of £77 3s. 6d. was paid to the Lord Advocate last year for services in connection with the Gray Peerage case? MR. HANBURY: Attention has been called by the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Appropriation Account of the Vote to the item which includes this payment. It will, therefore, come in due course under the notice of the Public Accounts Committee, and I do not prepose to anticipate their consideration of the matter. Mr. Hanbury. March 26th, 7.30 p.m.," being delivered in Omagh 28th March, 1.45 p.m.; whether the application of the Town. Commissioners to have the mail delivery extended to the enlarged boundary limits has been granted; whether he is aware that much inconvenience is caused to the public for want of a sufficient number of counter clerks, especially on market days; whether a site for a new post office has been decided on; and will, in the near future, steps be taken to improve office, and to expedite the delivery of the matters generally in connection with this office, and to expedite the delivery of the mails in Omagh? MR. HANBURY: If particulars can be given of such delays inquiry shall be made into them. The application from the Town Council for an extended town delivery is under consideration. Inquiry shall also be made as to whether the counter staff is insufficient. No decision has yet been arrived at upon a site for the new post office. The Postmaster General is waiting an offer of a portion of the infirmary property which is about to be made by the governors. NORTH ATLANTIC WINTER LOAD-LINE. GENERAL LAURIE (Pembroke and Haverfordwest): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the Departmental Committee on the North Atlantic winter load-line has yet been appointed; and, if so, when it will meet and who will form the Committee; whether, if not yet appointed, the composition of the Committee has yet been decided on; and what are the proposed terms of the reference to the Committee? THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE: No definite conclusion has yet been arrived at in this matter. It is still under my careful consideration. DISTRESS IN KERRY. MR. T. J. FARRELL (Kerry, S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that a public meeting in connection with distress in Ireland was held in the Mansion House, Dublin, on the 2nd instant, presided over by the Lord Mayor, when a letter was received and read from the Rev. J. Casey, P.P., Valentia, county Kerry, stating that 50 families, consisting of some 300 persons, are in immediate want of relief in his parish; and whether any steps will be taken by the Government to meet the distress prevailing in this district? MR. GERALD BALFOUR: I have seen a newspaper report containing statements to the effect mentioned in the first paragraph. The matter was at once brought under the notice of the Local Government Board's inspector, who visited Valentia Island and ascertained from the relieving officer that every destitute person in the district who required assistance is being afforded relief. The inspector will call on the Rev. Mr. Casey with a view to obtaining the names of the persons alleged to be in need of relief. I may add that the guardians of this union have, so far, refused the offer made by the Government of financial aid towards the establishment of relief works for the necessitous poor, and that it is still open to the guardians to accept this offer. MR. FLAVIN (Kerry, N.): Is the right honourable Gentleman aware of the fact that the rates in this union are 19s. in the pound, and that arrears of £700 had accumulated at the time this appeal was made to the Local Government Board? [No Reply.] GLYCERINATED CALF LYMPH. DR. CLARK (Caithness) : I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board (1) whether his attention has been called to the Report on sanitary measures in India for 1894-5, as to the use of lymph preserved with glycerine, in which it is stated that in the Madras Presidency preserved lymph is largely used, no fewer than 642,296 persons were vaccinated with lymph preserved with glycerine; that it is therefore no matter of surprise that of these only 89.2 per cent. proved successful cases of vaccination; and that the use of vaccine lymph mixed with glycerine is evidently not only an expensive procedure but disappointing in its results; (2) whether after a fair trial glycerinated lymph has been entirely discontinued in the Calcutta and Darjeeling depôts, the principal reason assigned by the Sanitary Commissioner of Bengal being that glycerine is a nutritive medium for the growth of putrefactive and other germs; (3) whether Sir George Buchanan also held a similar view regarding lymph preserved in glycerine; and (4) whether anything has been done to carry out the suggestion of the Royal Commission that there should be further investigation of this matter; if so, with what results? THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. CHAPLIN, Lincolnshire, Sleaford): In reply to the last paragraph of the Question, I stated in detail in the House nearly two months ago the steps which had been taken to carry out the recommendations of the Royal Commission with regard to the further investigation of this matter, and also the results. Those results were eminently satisfactory, and there is really nothing I think which I could add to what I said then. A Report on the preparation and storage of glycerinated calf lymph with a full account of that investigation has also been laid upon the able. With regard to the memorandum referred to in the first paragraph of the Question (relating to India in 1894-95) it does not appear how far the statements are based on reports, which are described as being in many cases absolutely untrustworthy, or under what conditions of laboratory precautions or otherwise the vaccine lymph at that date was mixed with glycerine. I do not understand whether the 89.2 per cent. successes referred to were insertion successes, but, even if they were, they are in striking contrast with the successes reaching 97, 98, and 99 per cent. recorded in the Report I have already referred to, when the material was prepared under conditions of laboratory precautions such as are now being adopted. I am not aware that the use of glycerinated calf lymph has been discontinued on the ground stated in the districts in India which are mentioned, and I am advised that it is not the fact that Sir George Buchanan held the views suggested in the Question. EXPENSES OF SHERIFF SUBSTITUTES OF SCOTLAND. PAY OF TEIGNMOUTH POSTMEN. MR. SEALE HAYNE (Devon, Ashburton): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, why the town postmen of Teignmouth receive a lower scale of pay than those of Torquay; whether there is any essential difference in the cost of living and house rent for the industrial classes at these much-frequented wateringplaces; and whether he will take into his favourable consideration the Report of Lord Tweedmouth's Committee, which says that the question of wages of those officers who are employed at seaside resorts should be specially considered? DR. CLARK: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury (1) whether the sheriff substitutes of Scotland are compelled to pay out of their small salaries, some of them only receiving £500 a year, the travelling expenses incurred in hold- MR. HANBURY: Torquay being a ing Courts at considerable distance from much larger town than Teignmouth has their residences for civil and criminal a very much larger correspondence, and work and also for Registration Courts the abnormally hilly nature of the area and Board of Trade inquiries, and other of delivery makes the postmen's duties duties of a judicial and executive more onerous. A higher scale for the character; (2) whether any other class postmen at Torquay is amply justified of judges or civil servants in the United by these considerations alone, but it is Kingdom are in this position; (3) also the fact that the cost of living there whether he is aware that the Commis- is higher than at any town on the coast sioners on Courts of Law reported in of South Devon. The question whether 1870 that the minimum salary of sheriff any increase of wages can be granted for substitutes should be £700 per annum; the postmen at Teignmouth is, however, (4) whether at the present time there are already under consideration. The Tweed19 of these officials, more than a third mouth Committee did not report that of the whole body, whose salaries are less the wages of postmen employed than the sum recommended by the Com- seaside resorts should be specially missioners; (5) and whether the Secre- considered. tary for Scotland has called his attention to the necessity of increasing the salaries of these underpaid judges? MR. HANBURY: It is the fact that sheriff substitutes in Scotland are compelled to pay out of their salaries the travelling expenses which they incur in the discharge of their duties, and the salaries have been fixed with regard to that fact. I am not aware of any other class of judges who receive a similarly inclusive salary, for there are cases in the Civil Service where an officer's remuneration is fixed with the view of covering his travelling expenses. The answer to the third paragraph is in the affirmative. At the date of the last Finance Accounts there were 50 salaries of sheriff substitutes charged on the Consolidated Fund, and 18 of these were below £700 a year. I have received no representation on the subject from the Secretary for Scotland. President of Local Government Board. BOOTS FOR BRITISH SOLDIERS ON THE NILE. at MR. WANKLYN (Bradford, Central): On behalf of my honourable and gallant Friend the Member for York, I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he has now received the Report as to the condition of the boots of the English regiments serving on the Nile; whether he has received any answer from the Sirdar relative to the boots used by the Egyptians; and, if so, of what nature; whether he proposes to make any change in the boots of the English regiments in the next campaign; and when will he be able to place specimens of the British and Egyptian Army boot in the Smoking Room for Members to examine? THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE MR. POWELL WILLIAMS: I should WAR OFFICE (Mr. J. POWELL WILLIAMS, very strongly object, in the interests of Birmingham, S.): The Sirdar tele- the honourable Member's constituency, graphsto use the term "objectionable" as applied to these boots. "I think it too late to get boots from India, and the British troops are now well supplied; heel and toe plates are being put on. I will keep a reserve of Egyptian Army boots handy, so as to supply any requirements later on. will let you know (the) numbers I have available when I get the information." MR. WEIR: Will these boots be placed in the Smoking Room, in order that iMembers may have an opportunity of inspecting them, and ascertaining why iron tips and heel-plates should have to be put on? The General Officer Commanding ' reports "I would beg that all boots supplied are fitted with toe and heel plates fastened with screws." This will be attended to. I have specimens of the English and Egyptian boots in the House, and I will gladly remove them from my room to the Smoking Room. MR. T. BAYLEY (Derbyshire, Chesterfield) Were these boots made in England or MR. INSURANCE UNDER THE WORKMEN'S MR. BAINBRIDGE (Lincolnshire, SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, Gainsborough): I beg to ask the SecreS.) In Germany? MR. BAYLEY: No; or in India? tary of State for the Home Department whether the attention of the Government has been directed to the rate asked by the insurance companies for insurance MR. POWELL WILLIAMS: Which under the Workmen's Compensation boots does the honourable mean? Member Act; is he aware that the rates required by insurance companies (the lowest premium quoted for engineering factories MR. BAYLEY: I want to know being 26s. per cent.) are very greatly in whether these boots that were supplied excess of the figures estimated by the to the British troops were made in Eng-Government during the time the Bill was land or in India. under discussion by the House; and whether, seeing that the Secretary of MR. POWELL WILLIAMS: The boots State for the Colonies has by letter exsupplied to the British troops in Egypt pressed the opinion to members of the were made in England, in Northampton- engineering trade that for an ordinary shire. The boots supplied to the Egyp-engineering business 5s. per cent. would tian Army were Indian boots made in Cawnpore. MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton): Do I gather that these objectionable boots were made in Northampton? Yes; MR. POWELL WILLIAMS: some very peculiar results come from Northampton. be an average rate, Government will consider the desirability of taking steps to enable engineering firms to insure under the Act upon terms which will make the burden imposed no greater than what was intended when the Act was passed? THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT: I have no information as to the rates required by the insurance companies for this indus MR. LABOUCHERE: Were these try. The industry is, of course, boots among the peculiar results? That dangerous one, but neither I nor my is what I want to know. a right honourable Friend the Secretary of |