§ MR. T. M. HEALYI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the Government still maintain that Ireland gains over £2,000,000 a year by Army expenditure; and he will undertake that, without grave cause, no change is introduced into the Army contract system previously prevailing in Ireland; on what grounds was Colonel Richardson, of the Army Service Corps, allowed four years ago to introduce changes to all canteens in the Dublin District; and was it with the sanction of the War Office that Major King, Director of Canteen Supplies, was brought from London to assist him; will he explain why the Curragh Camp in the following year adopted the new system, with the consequence that not only ale, but Irish porter and Irish whisky are now contracted for by an English firm; and also why was the Cork District subsequently placed under the new system; will he explain why the new system was never enforced in the Belfast District; is there any intention to establish in Ireland what is called the tenant system as regards these Army contracts, and can he state its nature; and will the Government consider the advisability of allowing regiments quartered in Ireland to give local merchants the benefit of their expenditure.
LORD STANLEYAs I have already explained to the House, the discretion of making contracts for canteens rests with the General Officers commanding districts. The necessity of decentralising such matters is obvious. It would be impossible for the War Office to undertake the control of such contracts, and I am not prepared to interfere with the discretion of the General Officers, but I will draw the attention of General Officers commanding to the desirability as far as possible of employing local firms.
§ MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)asked if the officer referred to in the question was 674 connected with the Canteen Co-operative Society.