§ MR. DILLONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that much misunderstanding and confusion has arisen in some western unions in reference to the circulars issued by the Local Government Board with regard to the supplying of sprayers; and that, as a result, in some districts of the Ballina and Killala unions, the people are now endeavouring to spray their potatoes with brushes and other inefficient implements; and whether anything can be done to remedy this condition of things?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURIn a few of the western unions, including Killala and Ballina, the guardians appear to have at first misunderstood the Local Government Board's circular relative to spraying machines. The Board, however, pointed out the misapprehension as soon as they were made aware of it. The Killala guardians purchased and received 101 machines, and the Ballina guardians 80 machines. No complaint has been received from either union that the people were spraying with "brushes and other inefficient implements," but, on the contrary, the clerk of the Killala union now states that they want no machines, and they ask the Board to make arrangements to dispose of the 101 already supplied, as nearly all the persons that ordered the machines have been supplied otherwise. He also observes that the guardians would not let the machines out on hire.