§ COLONEL WARING (Down, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the reduction of the price for socks issued to Militia regiments from 8¾d. to 7½d. has rendered it impossible for the hand-knitted article, largely produced in the poorest districts of the North of Ireland, to compete with the woven; and whether the authorities, in view of the acknowledged superiority of the former, will re-consider the question?
§ MR. E. STANHOPEThe authorities responsible for military clothing do not admit the superiority of hand-knitted socks over those woven by machinery; but the practice has been to allow in the case of articles provided locally the average price paid to manufacturers on yearly contracts. This average has been for Militia socks 7s. per dozen, and the price paid locally has been 7s. 4d. The 8¾d. per pair was allowed specially for a limited number of pairs in consequence of the great distress in a particular locality last winter.