HC Deb 01 August 1898 vol 63 cc761-3 "Page 3, leave out sub-section (7)."—(Mr. Doogan.)
* MR. DOOGAN

It is admitted that the people in these districts are in the deepest distress. Therefore I think the Attorney General will see that this is a very reasonable Amendment. This subsection requires that cash shall be paid for the spraying machines at time of purchase, and my object in moving the omission of sub-section 7 is to provide in my next Amendment that they be granted as a loan on the same conditions as the seeds and spraying machines are.

MR. ATKINSON

I could not possibly accept this Amendment. The great objection is that in the case of these machines that by the time the second instalment becomes due they will have been used, and then they are of no use. Therefore, if a man desires to buy it he should pay the price, and if he does not wish to pay the price, he can always have it, and for that reason there is a difference made. I have already explained that in distressed districts, both machines and sprayers are given free.

DR. CLARK

I do not quite understand the position of the Government in regard to this question. The right honourable Gentleman opposed the last clause on the ground that the Irish Temporalities Fund would not stand it, and yet he proceeds now to buy seeds or spraying machines, and pays cash at once. So that you are taking out of the Church Temporalities Fund one-fifth of the value of the seeds and one-tenth of the value of the machines if you pay in cash. Now, in the next clause, on page 4, there is another curious proviso. It says— The amount due to the guardians on account of any seed or spraying material sold by them, and not paid for in cash on delivery, shall be paid by two equal instalments. If this is to be so in the case of the material, why not in the case of the machine also?

MR. SPEAKER

That is not the question raised by this Amendment. There is another Amendment on the Paper dealing with that point.

DR. CLARK

But if you are going to draw on the Church Temporalities Fund as far as materials are concerned, surely the machinery for carrying out the work should be placed in the same condition. If not, the result will be that the operation will be a failure. They will try by every means to do it, and the result will finally be that you will probably waste the material, and not have the effect desired. I am sorry the Attorney General has not seen fit to accept the Amendments of my honourable Friend, because they are practically all of the same character as those which he accepted in Committee for the Government, and only apply to the question of the system of paying by instalments instead of paying all at once.

Question put.

Amendment negatived.

Amendment proposed— Page 3, line 25, leave out the word 'net.'"—(Mr. Atkinson.)

Question put.

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment proposed— Page 5, leave out clause 7."—(Mr. Atkinson.)

MR. DOOGAN

rose to move his first Amendment to Clause 7, when

MR. ATKINSON

I move to strike out this clause, because these instructors are already provided for under another fund, and therefore this clause is not necessary.

MR. DILLON

What fund are these instructors paid out of?

MR. ATKINSON

They are paid for out of the distress fund. They practically go round the country districts and give instructions.

Question put— That clause 7 be struck out of the Bill.

Agreed to.

Question put— That the Bill be now read a third time.

Agreed to.