§ MR. LEES KNOWLES (Salford, W.)I beg to ask Mr. Attorney General whether he will take steps to provide by legislation or otherwise that service with the Volunteers shall not be held to be employment within the meaning of the statute which provides that articled clerks shall not undertake employment during the term of their articles.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir ROBERT FINLAY,) Inverness BurghsThe prohibition does not apply to cases. in which an articled clerk has obtained; his principal's consent and the order of the Master of the Rolls or of a Judge. I am informed that the Master of the Rolls has already made several orders under this provision to enable articled clerks to go into camp, and the council of the Incorporated Law Society stated at the commencement of the war that they would make every possible effort to answer that any time occupied in service for the Crown should not be lost to the clerk when the absence had been with the consent of his principal. I do not think that any necessity for legislation on the subject has so far been established.
§ SIR ROBERT FINLAYIt depends on statute. The Incorporated Law Society has promised to endeavour to make arrangements to allow the time to count so long as the consent of the principal has been obtained for the absence. This involves obtaining an order of the Court, and in getting that the society may be able to assist.