§ MR. SEALE-HAYNE (Devon, Ashburton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, in reference to Army Order No. 84, which deprives Captains of Militia of their contingent allowance, how armourers' charges for repairing and oiling arms, company stationery, and other minor charges will in future be met; and if he will state how many men in course of the training of their regiments during 1889 died or deserted; what was the total amount of their debtor balances; and what was the total amount of the contingent allowance paid to Captains of Militia for that year?
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOE WAR (Mr. E. STANHOPE,) Lincolnshire, HorncastleThe charges for repairing and oiling arms will fall upon the allowance granted to the officer commanding the corps under Articles 774 and 775 of the Militia Regulations. Company stationery will be provided from the Regimental Contingent Fund allowance under Article 770. Other minor charges must be more clearly defined before I can say how they will be met. The records for 1889 are not yet sufficiently complete to enable me to answer the latter part of the question; but, practically, captains of companies are relieved of all liability on account of debts contracted by their men while out for training, and also of the debtor balances of men who die or desert. They are thus gainers rather than losers by the new Regulations.