§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the report of the following remarks alleged to have been made in Court by Mr. Horace Smith, Magistrate at the Clerkenwell Police Court, on 31st January, "that he got so tired of hearing School Board cases, that he should decline to hear any more summonses after 4.30 p.m.; also that he wished the School Board would take steps to secure the appointment of a magistrate on purpose to deal with School Board cases, as he did not intend to sit any longer than he was paid for;" whether he is aware that owing to the frequent adjournments and the refusal of the magistrates to grant summonses, it is impossible for the London School Board to produce satisfactory results; and whether he proposes to take any and what action to mitigate the hardship of the present arrangements to the poor, and to facilitate the work of the School Board?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI am informed by the magistrate that the newspaper report is quite inaccurate. He informs me that from 2 to 4.30 on the day in question he heard nine industrial school summonses and 53 School Board summonses. At 4.30, having day charges to try, he adjourned the remaining 16 School Board summonses. Thursday afternoon is given up every week at this Court to School Board cases. I am told by the chief magistrate that the arrangements adopted for hearing School Board cases have been generally successful in producing an improved attendance, and I have no information leading me to think that the London magistrates could materially lessen the trouble that School Board cases must necessarily cause both to the poor and to the officers of the Board.