§ MR. LONSDALETo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the condition of the roads in County Leitrim; and whether he will inquire how far this is due to a system of giving contracts to sons of county councillors and district councillors who reside at home with their fathers and work their fathers' horses in these contracts.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The attention of the Local Government Board has been called to the inferior condition of the roads in County Leitrim, but while the Board consider that the county council would effect great economy and improvements by adopting direct labour instead of the contract system, they are not prepared to assume that the sons of local councillors are less competent as contractors than other persons. In the Board's opinion it is the contract system, rather than the personnel of the contractors, which is at fault.