§ Mr. J. MacVEAGH (for Mr. Lardner)asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether it is with the knowledge and approval of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland that one of their chief organisers, Mr. McElwee, is recommending the teachers in the national schools of Ireland to use the drawing publications of a Scotch publishing house and is advising the teachers to become subscribers to the school journal issued by the same house, and that he carried specimens of both with him on his visits to schools and brings these samples under the notice of the teachers; if so, whether he has sanctioned this organiser's action in recommending Scotch publications to the detriment of Irish trade, more especially as the Irish publishers have specially brought out at great expense Irish handbooks to meet the requirements of the existing programme in drawing; and will he further state if the Scotch drawing publications are much more expensive than similar publications produced in Ireland?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners have no information on the subject of this question, but inquiries will be made.