§ SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the continued retention since October, 1899, of the south arm of the harbour works at Table Bay for the exclusive use of the military authorities, together with up wards of 4,000 feet of quay space and warehouses, is an inconvenience to the Harbour Board of Capetown and the shipping and mercantile community; and 177 whether he will instruct the general officers and commandants at base ports to consider the advisability of erecting Government warehouses on the sites offered by the Government Railways, and in any case to occupy the harbour piers, sheds, and quays at Capetown, Port Elizabeth, East London, and Durban as little as possible.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK, Surrey, Guildford)The points raised in this Question had already been referred to the General Officer commanding at Capetown. He has replied as follows: "The sheds at Capetown are not used for storage of supplies. Hay is stacked in the open, pending trucks being available for up country. I now propose to stack forage at Maitland as soon as rolling stock is available for conveyance from the docks. I am making every effort to meet local requirements at the docks"