§ Mr. LARDNERasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether it is with the knowledge and approval of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland that one of their chief organisers, Mr. M'Elwee, 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 carries specimens of both with him on his visits to schools and brings these samples under the notice of the teachers; whether he sanctions 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 is he aware that the Scotch drawing publications are more expensive than similar publications produced in Ireland?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education have referred this question to the organising inspector of drawing, who states that he has no connection, financially or professionally, with any publishing firm, and that he does not carry specimens or samples of school journals or of drawing publications or books for the purpose of bringing the same under the notice of teachers during his visits to schools. Further he states that he does not make, nor has he ever made, a practice 717W of recommending teachers to use the drawing publications of a Scotch publishing house, or of advising them to become subscribers to a school journal of any description. With regard to the latter part of thg question the Commissioners have no information.