§ MR. SLOANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland what steps have been taken to carry out the promise, when the Irish Land Act, 1903, was in Committee, that, on the sale of estates, Irish land clerks would be compensated, and that in the administration of the Act the Government would give as much employment as they could to these clerks; will he say whether any of these clerks are at present employed by the Estates Commissioners; and, if so, how many, and are they paid salaries equivalent to the salaries they received as land clerks; and have the Estates Commissioners yet settled, with the assent of the Treasury, the fixed price or percentage to be paid to land clerks under the provisions of Section 23, Sub-section 11, of the Irish Land Act, 1903.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe Question does not quite accurately represent what took place in Committee. In discussing an Amendment moved by my hon. friend on the 1st July, 1903, I stated that where the Commissioners employed a person in any capacity the scale of payment would he arranged between them and the Treasury, and that in the administration of the Act it would be the earnest desire of the Government to give as much employment as could be given to agents and others concerned. Where estates have been sold by vendors to tenants the Commissioners have sanctioned payment of negotiation fees to the negotiator nominated by the vendors, in the case of some thirteen estates. The fees in such cases have varied from 1 to 3 per cent. on the purchase money. The Commissioners are unable to say to what 1343 extent the negotiators have compensated land clerks out of these fees. In cases of sales to the Estates Commissioners no fixed scale of price or percentage has yet been settled under Section 23 (11) of the Act of 1903. With respect to employment, the creation of one post on the staff of the Commissioners has been sanctioned, which it is intended to fill by the appointment of a person having experience in land agency.