§ COLONEL NOLAN (Galway, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if large quantities of Davidson's couplings or joints have been made by the War Office and its contractors; if the War Office recognise Mr. Davidson, a working man, as the inventor; and what steps have been taken by the War Office to procure a suitable award for the inventor?
§ MR. WOODALL(who replied) said: Considerable numbers of couplings or joints for side arms for ordnance have been made on a plan suggested by Mr. Davidson. He claims that these joints are covered by a patent held by him, but the War Department is advised that this patent is bad. £100 has, however, been offered to Mr. Davidson as an acknowledgment of his services in connection with the introduction of the joint in question into Her Majesty's Service. Up to the present he has not accepted this offer.