§ Mr. ARMITAGEasked the President of the Board of Trade what have been the office allowances and what the salaries paid to the Trade Commissioners in each Dominion since their appointment?
§ Mr. BURNSThe annual salaries of His Majesty's Trade Commissioners in the past year were: Canada, £1,000; South Africa, £ 1,000; New Zealand, £800; Australia, £1,100. In the first three cases the amounts have not been changed since the posts were originally established in 1908, but the salary of His Majesty's Trade Commis-742W sioner for Australia (who is located at Melbourne) was raised in 1912 from £1,000 to £1,100 in consideration of the requirement that he should spend a portion of each year at Sydney. An improvement in the status of the Trade Commissioners involving some change in their rate of remuneration is at present in contemplation. The office allowances were fixed in 1908 at £500 each for Canada, Australia, and South Africa, and at £400 for New Zealand; they were raised in 1910 to £800 in the first three cases, and to £650 for New Zealand. Subsequently the allowance for Canada was increased to £850 in 1912 and to £1,050 (including £100 in respect of Newfoundland) in 1913. The allowance for Australia was increased to £1,150 in 1913 to meet the expenses of a branch office at Sydney which was established in that year; and the allowance for South Africa was increased to £940 in 1911. These allowances are exclusive of the remuneration of trade correspondents in the respective Dominions and of any special Grants to meet non-recurring expenditure.