§ DR. AMBROSE (Mayo, W.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state the acreage of land purchased by the Congested Districts Board from Mr. Stoney, of Rosturk Castle, county Mayo, dividing it into arable and mountain land respectively, what was the date of purchase and the price paid for the whole, what was the price paid for the arable and what for the mountain land respectively; did the Board re-sell any of the land to Mr. Stoney, and, if so, when; whether it was arable or mountain, and how does the price Mr. Stoney paid for it compare with 936 that which the Board paid him in the first instance for the same; how much did the Board re-sell to Mr. Stoney and on whose advice, and why did they re-sell it to him; did the Board use for grazing purposes the mountain which they re-sold to Mr. Stoney, and, if so, for what period; did it pay the Board to take in cattle and sheep for grazing purposes from the neighbouring tenants, and, if so, what was the amount of profit that was realised; if it was run at a loss for the grazing of the sheep and cattle of neighbouring tenants, what was the amount of the loss to the Board; could he give the names of the tenants who sent cattle and sheep to graze on this mountain while it was in the hands of the Board, the number of cattle and sheep belonging to each and the amount paid per head for cattle and sheep; did the Board graze on it with their own stock, if so, for what length of time; what was the amount of profit or loss during the time the Board grazed on it with their own stock.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The total area of the land purchased by the Congested Districts Board from Mr. Vesey Stoney is 5,217 acres, of which 2,292 acres were tenanted. Of the remaining 2,925 acres, 405 acres were arable and 2,520 mountain land. 5,019 acres were bought in June, 1900, and the purchase of 198 acres, not yet vested, was agreed upon on May 1st, 1905. The price paid for the first purchase was £7,300 and for the second £3,975. These prices included £5,667 for the 405 acres of arable land in the landlord's hands, and £800 for the 2,520 acres of mountain land. The Board were enabled to purchase the second portion of the estate by agreeing to a condition made by the owner, viz., that they would resell to him 1,965 acres of mountain land at £600, the price which the Board had paid for it. Mr. Stoney paid this sum on; May 3rd, 1906. This re-sale was made on the advice of the Board's officers, in order to obtain 175 acres of arable land for enlarging the small holdings on the estate. The tenants did not send sufficient cattle to graze the mountain land, and the Board therefore bought thirty-four cattle on April 27th, 1903, and put them on the land. As the cattle did not thrive, they were taken off the mountain on October 15th, 1903. Two bullocks were drowned in ditches, 937 and there was a loss of £6, including a portion of the herd's salary. The Board received for the grazing of the tenants' cattle on the mountain; in 1901, £9 5s. 6d; in 1902, £13 3s. 6d.; in 1903, £3 5s. 9d.; and in 1904, £9 16s. 4d.; total, £35 11s. 1d. It would not be convenient to give, in reply to a Question, separate particulars as to the cattle sent to graze by the various tenants in each of four years, but it may be stated in general terms that the number of tenants was over forty, the number of cattle or horses sent to graze by each tenant ranged from one to ten, and the rate per head per month from 1s. to 2s. 6d. The total profit on the tenants' grazing for four years was £8 14s. 8d., viz., £35 11s. 1d., rents received, less a pro portion of herd's wages at £1 per month, estimated at £26 16s. 5d. The loss involved in the Board's six months' grazing operation was, as already stated, £6.