§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEasked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to the language used by Mr. D. Propert, district auditor, who on an ex parte statement declared that an irresistible case had been made out for believing the Merthyr Board of Guardians guilty of malversation of public funds by giving contracts to persons who had friends at court; and what action he proposes taking to have all the circumstances of the case properly investigated, and also to protect boards of guardians from having such charges levelled against them upon the unsupported statements of contractors whose tenders had not been accepted?
§ Mr. BURNSI am informed by Mr. Propert, the district auditor, that there is no foundation for the allegation that he made the statement attributed to him. He states that on the 4th instant, at the audit of the accounts of the guardians of the Merthyr Tydfil Union, complaints were
Year. Estimated Quantity of Silver Produced in Total Estimated Production in the World. Annual Average Price of Bar Silver per Ounce Standard. Estimated Value of-World's Production. United States. Mexico. Australia. All other Countries. Fine ounces. Fine ounces. Fine ounces. Fine ounces. Fine ounces. Pence. £ 1902 55,500,000 60,176,604 8,026,037 39,060,842 162,763,483 24 1/16 17,641,875 1903 54,300,000 70,499,942 9,682,856 33,455,096 167,937,894 24¾ 18,722,806 1904 57,682,800 60,808,978 14,558,892 31,144,596 164,195,266 26⅜ 19,507,433 1905 56,101,600 65,040,865 12,561,600 35,884,774 169,588,839 27 13/16 21,246,349 1906 56,517,000 55,225,268 13,909,371 39,401,958 165,054,497 30⅞ 22,955,214 1907 56,514,700 61,147,203 17,949,099 48,595,982 184,206,984 30 8/16 25,048,416 1908 52,440,800 73,664,027 17,175,099 59,956,935 203,236,861 24⅜ 22,314,858 1909 54,721,500 73,942,432 16,359,284 66,192,417 211,215,633 23 11/16 22,536,803 1910 57,137,900 72,982,157 16,011,064 76,748,242 222,879,363 24⅝ 24,722,542 1911 57,800,000 * * * 224,000,000 24 9/16 24,800,000 * Satisfactory estimates not yet available. NOTE.—The figures of production given above for the years 1902–10 are the estimates compiled by the Director of the United States Mint from information supplied by the mining and other authorities of the countries concerned. Those for 1911 are provisional estimates, which are believed to be fairly comparable with the figures for previous years. The prices of silver have been extracted from a "Table showing the monthly fluctuations, in London, in the price of bar-silver, per ounce standard, 1833 to 1911," compiled by Messrs. Pixley and Abell. The estimated total value of the production has been calculated from the particulars given in the two preceding columns of the statement.
1722Wmade by two solicitors, on behalf of ratepayers of the union, in regard to the circumstances in which certain contracts were entered into by the guardians, and, after examination of the complaints, he said that an irresistible case had been made out for further inquiry. The audit has been adjourned until the 21st instant, when the auditor has requested the clerk to the guardians to attend with any guardians who care to do so. The subject of the complaints will be further investigated by the auditor at the adjourned audit. On receipt of his report, I will consider whether any further investigation is necessary.