HC Deb 14 April 1910 vol 16 cc1555-6W
Mr. NEWTON

asked the Chief Secretary who are the members of the Departmental Committee on the Flax-growing Industry; and whether he will take steps to have the Fishery Department officially represented on such Committee by the addition of the chief fishery inspector of the Agriculture and Fishery Department as a member thereof?

The HON. MEMBER

further asked the Chief Secretary whether, a Departmental Committee having been appointed by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in Ireland to inquire into the present state of the flax-growing industry in Ireland and the causes which are contributing to the decline of that industry, and it being alleged by those interested in that industry that one of the causes of such decline is that they are prevented by the Irish Fishery Statutes from discharging as they please flax water and other deleterious matter into the tributaries frequented by salmon and trout, he will take steps to secure that, as the owners of several salmon fisheries and the public fishing for salmon in tidal waters are interested in and will be affected by such inquiry, they shall be given adequate representation on such Departmental Committee?

Mr. BIRRELL

The members of the Departmental Committee on the Flax-Growing Industry in Ireland are:—

John Ritch Campbell, B.Sc, Assistant Secretary in respect of Agriculture of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction (chairman).

Harold A. M. Barbour, M.A. (Messrs. William Barbour and Sons, Limited, flax spinners, Lisburn).

James G. Crawford (York Street Flax Spinning Company, Limited, Belfast).

James W. Stewart (flax grower and scutch mill owner, Boghill, Coleraine).

James Stewart, J.P. (flax grower, Liskey, Strabane).

Daniel Henry Lane, J.P. (formerly inspector in the Fisheries Branch of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, and now member of the Board of Conservators of Fisheries for the Cork District).

James Scott Gordon, B.Sc. (chief agricultural inspector of the Department of Agirculture and Technical Instruction).

Joseph H. Hinchcliff, Ph.D. (agricultural inspector, Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction).

The Department consider that the fisheries interests are adequately represented on the Committee, and they do not propose to increase the number of members. Persons concerned in the salmon or trout fishery interest will have ample opportunity of giving evidence before the Committee.