MR. MAC IVERasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether he can arrange for the distribution, free of cost, to the Birkenhead Free Public Library, as well as to other similar institutions who may wish to have them, of a complete set, as issued, of Parliamentary Papers and Documents and other works which are printed at the expense of the public?
§ MR. COURTNEYThe Parliamentary Papers can be purchased through any bookseller at a price which represents only the cost of printing and paper. Having regard to this fact, and also to the very large public expenditure for printing, I see no reason for subsidizing free libraries in the manner proposed.