Mr. WILLIAM ARCHER REDMONDasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether it is within the powers of the Development Commissioners to assist in the development of coal mines; if so, whether he will call their attention to the report made by the mineral expert to the Department of Agriculture in Ireland on the coalfields at Coalisland, county Tyrone, to the effect that workable coal is there in abundance, estimated at sixty-three million tons; and whether the Commissioners will take this report into consideration with the object of rendering assistance in the development, of this important industry?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe development of coal mines does not fall under any of 2113W the heads enumerated in Section 1 (1) of the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act, 1909, in respect of which advances from the Development Fund are specifically authorised, and if my hon. Friend will refer to page 33 of the first Annual Report of the Development Commissioners, he will see that the Commissioners have been advised that the general words at the end of Section 1 (1) cannot be held to cover economic development that is not in eodem genere and cognate with the subjects specifically named.