§ MR. O'DOHERTY (Donegal.N.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the attention of the Local Government Board in Ireland has been called to the fact that a small number of Boards of Guardians still continue the system of inviting tenders according to antiquated standard samples; whether, having regard to the progress of the woollen industry in Ireland, the system gives to Unions the best present value in cloth; whether, under the system, competition is wide and general, or confined to dealers in the immediate localities; whether any clerks of Unions refuse to send by post to persons living at a distance portions of the samples, and if this is sanctioned by the Board; and, whether the Irish Local Government Board will call the attention of Boards of Guardians to the matter, in the interest of the ratepayers?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)(who replied) said: The attention of the Local Government Board has not been specially drawn to the system alleged to be adopted by Boards of Guardians of inviting tenders according to ''antiquated" standard samples. The Board have no information before them which would enable them to express an opinion on the points referred to in the second and third paragraphs of the hon. Gentleman's Question. There is no Regulation of the Local Government Board requiring Clerks of Unions to send by 22 post to persons living at a distance portions of samples of supplies required by Boards of Guardians; and the matter is one in which the clerks would be guided by the direction of the Guardians. The Local Government Board are not at present aware of any necessity for interference on their part with the discretion hitherto exercised by Boards of Guardians in regard to tenders for workhouse supplies.