§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has received from any council or other representative body in Ireland charged with the collection and administration of the rates any expression of approval of the statutory liability of those bodies for land purchase annuities in default, or any assurance that this liability will not be repudiated and resisted when it becomes oppressive?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am not aware that any such expression of approval or assurance has ever been received or looked for from any public body charged with statutory liabilities.
§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if, in view of the discussion of the Land Bill and the prospect of purchase annuities continuing payable, he will ascertain and state the price an Irish farmer could have got in an average local market for 20 sheep of the same class in March, 1907, and in March, 1909, respectively; and the percentage of the change?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAccording to the Reports received by the Department of Agriculture from markets and fairs in Ireland, the average price per head of store sheep, one year old and under two, was 43s. 6d. in March, 1907, and 31s. 9d. in March, 1909, a decrease of 27 per cent. The average price per head of fat sheep in the same months was 56s. 8d. and 42s. 4d. respectively, a decrease of 25 per cent. The price of sheep is, of course, no criterion of the general position of the prices of stock and farm produce.
Captain CRAIGMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he can account for the lower price of sheep since the Liberal party came into power?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am quite unable to see any connection.