§ MR. FETHERSTONHAUGH (Fermanagh, N.)To ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether he will consider the desirability of printing the maps of the Irish Ordnance Survey from copper plates as formerly, inasmuch as it appears that maps printed from stone or zinc plates have to be printed on a soft-surfaced paper which renders them very unsuitable for use in the proceedings in the Land Commission, owing to the running of colour and ink used in defining holdings and marking boundaries, to meet the requirements of the Commissioners.
(Answered by Sir Edward Strachey.) Perhaps the hon. Member will refer to my reply of 2nd April to a Question on the same subject. Engraving the 6-inch maps on copper was given up some years ago on account of slowness in production and costliness, and the Board see no good reason for returning to that process.