§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that advertisements issued by the Irish Local Government Board and some other public boards are given out through a private firm, who charge the newspapers a commission for the advertisements they are instructed to give them; and whether, in the interests of the public service, he will direct the Irish Local Government Board and the other public boards to adopt the practice observed by the Board of Works and to deal directly with the newspapers?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. ATKINSON, Londonderry, N., for Mr. GERALD BALFOUR)It is a fact that the Local Government Board and other public Departments in Ireland issue advertisements through the medium of a private firm, the Messrs. Eason and Son, who are remunerated by means of a commission paid to them by the newspaper proprietors. The Department of Public 897 Works deals directly with the newspapers in the publication of such advertisements. The number of advertisements issued by the Board of Works must be very small as compared with the number which are issued through the agency of Messrs. Eason, and, however practicable it may be for that Department to arrange for the publication of its own advertisements, I am satisfied, upon the information at present before me, that any alteration in the arrangement which has for many years existed with the private firm mentioned, would lead not only to higher charges for advertisements, but would necessitate the employment of one or more additional clerks, in several public Departments, and would thus entail increased public expenditure.