THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR, Leeds, Central): Questions affecting the position of sugared products will be considered at the next meeting of the Permanent Commission in March, and. pending the result of that discussion, I think it would be inexpedient to make any statement on the subject.

Statistics on Unemployed Labour] SIR EDGAR VINCENT: I beg to ask the President of the Board of

Trade whether information regarding the number of unemployed in foreign countries as compared with the number

in Great Britain could be obtained for the

instruction of this House; and whether he could furnish returns showing the comparative frequency and comparative severity of fluctuations in the demand for skilled and unskilled labour in protectionist and free-trade countries.

MR. GERALD BALFOUR: It is quite impossible to obtain statistics regarding the number of unemployed in foreign countries on a basis which would enable

sound comparisons to be made with the figures for this country published by the Labour Department of the Board of Trade. I hope, however, to lay on the Table of the House a Return embodying

such information as is available with regard to fluctuations of employment both in this and other countries.

Postal Distribution of Lottery Circulars. MR. ALEXANDER CROSS (Glasgow, Camlachie): I beg to ask the PostmasterGeneral whether he is aware that the Post Office is being employed, even more largely than formerly, as a means of distributing gambling lottery circulars setting out advantages and offering inducements to purchase lottery tickets; and whether he is willing to issue instructions that all batches of sealed circulars coming from persons whose address in this country is not printed on the outside of the envelope, shall not be received for pre-payment of postage until precautions have been adopted, by opening some of them, to ascertain that they do not contain improper solicitations to gamble.

event of his being unable to adopt the suggestion embodied in my Question, the noble Lord will consider the possibility of adopting other means.

THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Lord STANLEY, Lancashire, Weshtoughton): I am unable to say whether the Post Office is more largely used than formerly for the purpose of distributing lottery circulars. Many such circulars are doubtless posted in bulk at post offices in this country, but there is nothing on the covers to indicate their nature, and I have no power to open closed letters. I may point out, moreover, that even if the action suggested by

the hon. Member could be taken it would sent through the post, seeing that the not prevent lottery circulars from being senders would no doubt cease to post the packets in bulk, and would simply affix stamps and post them in the ordinary way. With regard to the further Question of my hon. friend I have to say that if I could find any method by which I could stop these lottery and betting circulars, nothing would give me greater pleasure.

There have been during the last year three cases of illegal trawling observed by the lighthouse keepers of Tiumpan Head, all of these cases have been prosecuted, two of which have led to convictions and in the third, which was also reported by the Coastguard, the trial has not as yet taken place.

Artificial Manures in Ireland.

MR. FFRENCH (Wexford, S.): I beg to ask the hon. Member for Huntingtonshire, as representing the Board of Agriculture, whether any amendment will be made or is in contemplation in the Fertilizers and Feeding Stuffs Act of 1893, to insure that purchases of artificial manures in Ireland are of the quality represented to them; whether he is aware that owing to the absence of analysis or other certified guarantee, nitrogen is frequently put down as ammonia or sulphate of ammonia, whereas one part of nitrogen equals 4·7 parts of sulphate of ammonia; that equally fraudulent statements are made regarding potash, potash salts, and phosphates, to the detriment of the purchaser; and whether, with a view to preventing fraud on the purchaser, the analysis of each bag sold will in future be ordered to be stamped or printed on each bag; that the police or other inspector empowered by the county council shall be authorised to take samples in the usual way for submission to the county analyst; and that, as regards feeding stuffs, merchants will be obliged to give the exact analytical composition of these goods, failure to stand analytical test subsequently to be constituted an offence punishable in a court of summary jurisdiction, or can he hold out any hope of amendment of the law in these directions.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. WYNDHAM, Dover): At my hon. friend's request I will reply to this Question. The question of amending the Act in so far as it applies to Ireland is now under consideration, and the suggestions of the hon. Member will not be lost sight of.

MR. FFRENCH asked if there was any objection to having analyses made of artificial manures in Ireland as required by Act of Parliament in England?

MR. WYNDHAM: I have said that

and the hon. Member's suggestion will not be lost sight of.

Ennistymon Guardians and the Police.

MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether

his attention has been called to a resolution passed by the Ennistymon guardians in which it is asked by what authority Sergeants Coyne, Brennan, and Breden, of the Royal Irish Constabulary, questioned members of the clothing committee as to their reasons for rejecting clothing supplied by a contractor to the workhouse; and whether he will say by what authority the police acted in this matter.

been directed to MR. WYNDHAM: My attention has the resolution in I am inquiring into the

question.

matter.

MR. WILLIAM REDMOND: I will repeat the Question this day week.

Iveagh-Pirrie Motor-car Service. MR. WILLIAM REDMOND: I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the LordLieutenant of Ireland whether he will take care that in any arrangements under the Iveagh-Pirrie motor-car service scheme consideration will be paid to the advisability of connecting Ballyvaughan with Oranmore, and Ballyvaughan with Lisdoonvarna and other districts in the county Clare, where the means of communication are at present inconvenient and unfavourable to local industry.

MR. WYNDHAM: Yes, Sir, I will see that these proposals are considered. They are not, however, comprised among the schemes to be initiated in the first instance.

Dublin, Wicklow, and Wexford Shillelah Extension Act.

MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Mr. John Henry Ryan, C.E., Dublin, was appointed by the Commissioners of Public Works as arbitrator under the Dublin, Wicklow, and Wexford Shillelagh Extension Act; that, under the Act passed in 1897, the time for acquiring land compulsorily was

that repeated sittings have been held with expense to the parties; and whether he will state what is the cause of the delay in the publication of the final award.

MR. WYNDHAM:Mr. Ryan was appointed arbitrator in July, 1900. The railway company did not intimate to him their desire to proceed with his inquiries until November, 1902. A draft sectional award was lodged by the arbitrator in June, 1903, and the final award was lodged yesterday. The delay has been caused by the necessity of recasting claims; by repeated adjournments to meet the convenience of the parties, and by the complicated nature of the case.

Granard Union-Surcharges on Guardians. MR. J. P. FARRELL (Longford, N.) I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether any application has been made to the Local Government Board to remit a surcharge of £4 11s. on three rural district councillors of Granard Union has been received; and, if so, whether, having regard to the fact that this money was paid bona fide by the guardians in the same way in which they had paid similar sums for many years, he will recommend the Board to remit the surcharge.

MR. WYNDHAM: The application is under consideration. A decision cannot be taken until further information, which has been called for, is before the Board.

Land Purchase in County Longford-John Kenny's Holding.

MR. J. P. FARRELL: I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will direct the attention of the Estate Commissioners to the case of John Kenny, Glannagh, county Longford, whose immediate landlord is willing to sell to him but cannot do so in consequence of the attitude of the head landlord; and whether he will direct the Estate Commissioners to purchase the entire holding, both of the middle landlord and tenant, with a view to resale to the latter.

MR. WYNDHAM: No application has been made to the Commissioners on

behalf of John Kenny, or of the middleman or head landlord. In the absence of all information as to the nature of the interests of the immediate landlord and head landlord it is impossible to say which course is proper to be adopted.

MR. FLAVIN (Kerry, N.): Will the matter be considered by the Estates. Commissioners?

MR. WYNDHAM: Yes, when the conditions have been fulfilled. There is. some technical point involved.

Mrs. McGibney's Farm.

MR. J. P. FARRELL: I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the case of Mrs. McGibney, Ballinacross, Granard, whose

evicted farm has been taken by the subwill he explain under what authority the sheriff of county Longford; and, if so, sub-sheriff, in the execution of his duty, bought in this farm and deprived the evicted tenant of it, and direct the attention of the Estate Commissioners to this case with a view to arranging through them for a resale to the evicted tenant.

MR. WYNDHAM: I understand that this holding was let in the ordinary way to Mr. Robinson, who is sub-sheriff, but that he did not use his powers to obtain possession. Mrs. McGibney and her son are both dead; her daughter survives. In the absence of information as to whether the landlord proposes to sell the estate on which the evicted holding is situate, it is not possible to say whether the Commissioners have power to deal with the matter. If an application be be conmade to them it will, of course,

sidered.

MR. J. P. FARRELL: Have you no power to restrain the sub-sheriff from taking possession?

[No answer was returned.]

Arklow Pier and Harbour. MR. COGAN (Wicklow, E.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the LordLieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Arklow Pier and Harbour

Dublin Police Commissioner and the

University Commission.

MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will explain under what circumstances the present Commissioner of the Dublin Metropolitan Police was permitted to give evidence before the recent University Commission in support of a Roman Catholic University for Ireland, and if such action is in accordance with the police regulations.

was constructed by the Board of Public Works, that the people of Arklow and adjoining baronies guaranteed the repayment of the cost of its construction, that from an engineering point of view it shortly afterwards proved to be unsuited to its original purpose, and that for many months past navigation has been impossible, imposing loss and suffering upon the fishing population and threatening the chief industries of the town and district with extinction; and whether, seeing that the Board's engineer insisted on building the harbour on its present plan in opposition to the advice and warning of the people of Arklow, and that the Harbour Board and other local bodies have for years been calling upon the Government to remedy the existing state of things, he will now take the necessary steps to put an end to them and safeguard public interests in this harbour.

MR. WYNDHAM: The existing harbour was constructed by the Board of Works to replace one previously built by local effort, and which was destroyed by the sea in 1877. The cost was defrayed by loans amounting to £23,500, and by free Government grants amount ing to £18,500. The plan of the harbour works was favourably reported on by two independent engineers, a copy of whose report was presented to Parliament in 1886. The works were successful in keeping the harbour practically clear of sand from 1887, the date of their completion, until last year, when, as a result of heavy gales, a sand bar was formed at the entrance to the harbour. An engineer of the Board of Works has recently surveyed the harbour, and his report is about to be communicated to the Harbour Commissioners.

MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford):

Is the statement correct that this harbour was built on a plan opposed by the local people, who, now it has gone wrong, are told they must remedy it?

MR. WYNDHAM: Until I have the report I can express no opinion.

MR. JOHN REDMOND: It is a very bad case. I hope the right hon. Gentleman

MR. WYNDHAM: Sir John Ross, of Bladensburg, is a member of the Senate of the Royal University of Ireland, and it was in this capacity he gave evidence before the Royal Commission. He was not prohibited by the police regulations from appearing as a witness before the Royal Commission.

Irish Development Grant.

MR. JOHN REDMOND: I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will make any statement of his intentions as to the purposes for which the Irish Development Grant Fund is to be used before the Estimate for that purpose is presented; and whether he intends to consult the views of Irish representatives upon the subject.

MR. WYNDHAM: I should be glad to consult the views of the Irish Members, both on the total amount with which it may be prudent to charge the Development Grant during the ensuing financial year, and on the allocation of the grant within the limits which prudence may suggest.

MR. JOHN REDMOND: Will the right hon. Gentleman make some statement before the Estimate is actually drawn up?

MR. WYNDHAM: It is rather hard on me to ask for a promise of that kind. I will see what can be done.

Irish Equivalent Grant.

MR. THOMAS O'DONNELL (Kerry, W.) I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state how many district, urban, and