§ MR. WEBBI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Local Government Board in Ireland has, in Dungarvan, and presumably in other Unions, fixed the remuneration of Poor Law officers at a scale greatly below that which the Boards of Guardians, the representatives of the ratepayers, desire to allow; and whether the Government will urge upon the Local Government Board a re-consideration of their decision in regard to same?
§ MR. BRYCE (for Mr. J. MORLEY)The Local Government Board presume this question refers to the scale recently fixed by an Order made by them under the Parliamentary Registration Expenses (Ireland) Act, 1890. The new scale of remuneration for the duties under the Franchise Acts of clerks of Unions and poor rate collectors had most careful consideration, and the amount now fixed was deemed adequate for the work done, having regard to the interest of the ratepayers. In the absence of any consider- 1597 able volume of opinion against the scale on the part of Boards of Guardians it is not proposed to alter the scale.