§ COLONEL WELBYI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether it is intended to manufacture any more ash lance staves for use in peace time; whether he is aware that the bamboo staves are subjected to a far more severe test than the ash ones: and that there are plenty of bamboos of lesser quality which will stand a much greater test than the ash staves; and, whether he can see his way to replacing the unreliable ash staves with these bamboos, so that the men in peace time may be trained with a weapon of the same weight and balance as that which they will have to use in war?
§ *THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordAsh staves will neither be manufactured nor issued when suitable bamboos can be obtained. Both ash staves and bamboos are subjected to practically the same test. Recently some bamboo lances which were not quite up to the standard were issued to the troops for trial. They did not prove serviceable, and bamboos vary in weight more than ash staves.