§ MR. O'DOHERTY (Donegal, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to a resolution passed by the Belfast United Trades Council complaining of the present system of tendering for Irish Stationery Office Contracts, whereby contractors are compelled to take all paper, cardboard, vellum, leather, cloth, and other raw and unworked material from the Department, thus putting on unequal conditions employers in the printing business in the provincial cities and towns of Ireland with those of Dublin, owing to the railway charges for freight to and from Dublin; and whether steps will be taken to have such goods, to be where possible of home manufacture, in the future directly supplied by the contractor whose tender may be accepted by the Stationery Office, and thereby place the printers of the provincial cities and towns in Ireland on terms of equality with their Dublin competitors.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINMy attention has been called to the resolution 957 referred to in the question. The practice of allowing the printer to supply all materials was abandoned after a trial of some years, owing to the unsatisfactory results which it produced, and I should not feel justified in reverting to it now.
§ MR. O'DOHERTYWill the Government supply the raw material to the contractors in Londonderry, Belfast, and Cork, and thus place all on the same footing?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINNo, I cannot undertake that.
§ MR. O'DOHERTYThen will the hon. Gentleman give the provincial tenderers a subsidy, so as to equalise matters?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir.