§ MR. KENNYasked the Secretary to the Treasury, if Lord Crichton's Commission of Inquiry recommended that 1275 Mr. Owen, Architect to the Irish Board of Works, should be called upon to resign; for what reason the recommendation in question has never been carried out; if Mr. Owen, while holding the position of Architect to the Board, was also Chairman to a Discount Company which became insolvent; and, whether he has likewise, in recent years, acted as Director of several commercial speculations which resulted in failure; if Mr. Owen, whilst an Architect to the Board, officially concerned with the business of dealing with applications for loans of public money to tenants and other persons, was also Chairman of a private Loan Company; and, whether, in consideration of his resigning the Chairmanship in question, the Treasury allowed him an increase of salary of about £200 per annum; and, what is the explanation of the course pursued with regard to Mr. Owen?
§ MR. COURTNEYSir, no such recommendation was made as that stated in the first paragraph of the Question, and accordingly it could not have been acted upon. The Crichton Commission did not recommend Mr. Owen's retirement; but they advised that he should cease to be Director of a private Building Society, and this has been carried out. The recent increase to his salary has nothing to do with this retirement, but depended on the increase of his duties. Mr. Owen states that he was at one time Chairman of a Discount Company, but resigned nearly two years ago, since which the Company has become bankrupt, otherwise he has long ceased to be concerned in any commercial speculation.