§ COLONEL WARING (Down, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that some time ago a Committee of the Ballymena Board of Guardians was appointed to inquire whether any and, if so, how many labourers' cottages were required in the electoral divisions of Portglenone, Lisnagarrow, Ahoghill, and Ballyscullion, and that Committee reported that 28 such dwellings were necessary; whether any, and if so how many, have since been built; and, if not, why is it that the provisions of the Labourers (Ireland) Acts are disregarded in the Ballymena Union; and what steps he will take to remedy this neglect?
MR. J. MORLEYI understand that the Guardians of the Ballymena Union did adopt the Report of a Committee which recommended the erection of 28 cottages in the Union, but that the Guardians, in view of the Reports made to them by the Medical Officers of Health relative to the dwellings of the various applicants for cottages now consider that six cottages will be sufficient to meet the requirements of the district. The scheme for the erection of these cottages has not yet come before the Local Government Board, who do not think they can properly interfere with the action of the Local Authority in this matter at the present stage of the proceedings.