§ COLONEL HARRISON-BROADLEY (Yorkshire, E.R., Howdenshire)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to a resolution of the Roscommon district council to the effect that in all advertisements for 273 supplies Irish-made goods are to be ordered, where such can be obtained, and whether he proposes to take any steps to secure that the ratepayers of the district shall have the benefit of the cheapest market irrespective of the place of origin of the articles desired.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Local Government Board have no record that any such resolution was passed by the rural district council. The rural district council are not obliged by law to accept the lowest or any tender for goods to be supplied by them, but they must be prepared to satisfy the auditor that in accepting a tender which was not the lowest they acted in the best interest of the ratepayers.