§ MR. MARKHAM (Nottinghamshire, Mansfield)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to a meeting of the North Staffordshire Institute of Mining Engineers, held at Hanley, on 14th January, when Mr. W. N. Atkinson, one of His Majesty's Inspectors of Mines, presided, and a discussion concerning a patent for tapering pit props and bars, taken out by Mr. H. Hepplewhite, one of His Majesty's Inspectors of Mines, took place, when Mr. Atkinson spoke in favour of the patent and stated that the question of tapering props was one of economy and not one of safety, and that Mr. W. Statham stated tapering would be unsafe in some mines; whether he has any information to show that some colliery companies have declined to recognise the validity of such Inspector's patent, and refuse to pay the royalties; and whether, seeing that some colliery companies are paying the Inspector for such patent right, he will see that none of His Majesty's Inspectors of Minesdevote their attention to matters other than those of the safety of the men, and take measures to prevent any of them receiving money from colliery companies.
§ * THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. RITCHIE,) CroydonNothing had been heard of this matter in the Home Office until the hon. Member's question appeared on the Paper. I have now made inquiries, and find that it is the case that Mr. Hepplewhite, an Assistant Inspector of Mines, has taken out a patent for tapered props and has formed a company to run it, also that the validity of the patent is disputed. With I out going so far as to say that no inspector may ever be interested in an invention, I think Mr. Hepplewhite's interest in this patent is incompatible with his 1196 position as Inspector of Mines, and I have decided that he must abandon either the one or the other. I have, however, no reason to think that he has ever acted as inspector otherwise than properly and impartially. Mr. Atkinson, who has no interest in the matter, informs me that he did not speak in favour of the patent at the Institute of Mining Engineers. In my opinion he was perfectly justified in joining in the discussion on the subject of tapered props.