§ MR. HOOPER (Cork, S.E.)asked the Surveyor General of Ordnance, What are the steps that will in future be taken to inform manufacturers in Ireland periodically of the desire of the Government to receive tenders for the supply of cloth for Army uniforms?
§ THE SURVEYOR GENERAL (Mr. NORTHCOTE) (Exeter)The exigencies of the Service necessitate the adoption of patterns of cloth which are not made by the trade generally, and hitherto have been supplied by Yorkshire and West of England firms, who have facilities for the production of these special cloths. If any Irish firm desires to take up this special manufacture, I have to say that I have given directions that patterns of the cloths shall be at once forwarded to Dublin, where they can be inspected. Advertisements of the War Office requirements will also be inserted in some of the principal Irish newspapers; and if an apparently satisfactory tender is received a trial order will probably be given.
§ MR. HOOPERasked whether, in the distribution of the advertisements amongst the Irish newspapers, the claims of those newspapers representing popular opinion would be considered?
§ [No reply.]