§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER (Belfast, W.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the margin of seven and one-third allowed by the Government in respect of the sale of the ordnance survey maps is sufficient to allow the contractor for the sale of the maps to pay for proper advertising, to cover bad debts, pay all expenses, and make a profit; whether the contractor has any substantial inducement to sell maps otherwise than direct, and at the full published price; and whether the sale of these admirable maps is not greatly restricted by the continuance of the existing arrangements; and whether any effect whatever has yet been given to the recommendations made by the representatives of four well-known publishing firms, whose evidence was given before the Departmental Committee appointed to consider the best methods of making the ordnance survey maps more widely known, and more easily obtainable than at present; and, if not, on what grounds the advice unanimously given by the representatives of the trade has been absolutely ignored?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. W. H. LONG, Liverpool, West Derby)Under the new arrangements made in pursuance of the recommendations of the Departmental Committee, there is no longer a single contractor for the sale of ordnance survey maps, as my honourable Friend appears to suppose, but in lieu thereof we have agents in London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and in about 120 of the principal provincial towns. These agents are allowed a discount of 25 per cent., and I have no reason to believe that this does not afford sufficient remuneration for the services rendered. The London agent pays a 894 premium of £104 per annum for the privilege of appointment, and both the gross sales and net receipts have increased since the new system came into operation. Effect has been given to very many of the suggestions which the witnesses referred to were good enough to make to the Committee, as my honourable Friend will see from the Parliamentary Paper issued in May, 1897, and from the forthcoming Report of the Director General.