§ MR. ARTHUR HENDERSON (Durham, Barnard Castle)To ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if his attention has been called to the importation into the Staffordshire chain making district from the dockyards of quantities of chain, in such lengths as permit of their being easily joined together and resold; if so, will he say if such a practice is a contravention of an existing Admiralty order; and, if so, whether he will take steps to have the order enforced.
(Answered by Mr. Pretyman.) The hon. Member apparently refers to the unserviceable chain sold at dockyard auctions. This matter was thoroughly investigated in 1894, and orders were then issued that the end links and parts of all chain sold were to be stamped about every six feet, and the stay pins knocked out. There is no reason for assuming that these instructions are not being properly carried out by the dockyard officers. It is a practical impossibility for old chain of this nature to be resold to the Admiralty, as the iron of which chain cables and rigging are made is inspected, and the chain itself is made under inspection.