§ Mr. MULDOONasked whether the assurance given by the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society not to take part in controversies involving political partisanship through its agents, spokesmen, or printed publications, referred to in the Treasury letter of the 1st of April, 1913, was given in writing, and, if so, by whom was it signed, or whether it was in the form of a resolution, and, if so, by whom was it passed and who were present at the meeting; whether the Lords of the Treasury will consider the undertaking violated 2138W if they find its agents, spokesmen, or printed publications taking part in a campaign to make the working of the National Insurance Act impossible in Ireland and to induce people to refuse to make the contributions required by that Act to be made weekly and to disobey it at every step; what machinery is to be set on foot to prevent the assurance which has been given from being ignored; and whether it is the Lords of the Treasury or the Development Commissioners who will have the duty of taking steps to see that the assurance shall not be violated?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe assurance to which the hon. Member refers was given in a letter addressed to the Development Commissioners by direction of the Committee of the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society and signed by the secretary of the society. The Government Department through whom an advance is made is primarily responsible for the supervision of the expenditure in accordance with the conditions of the advance. No new machinery would seem to be necessary in the present case. The second part of the hon. Member's question appears to be hypothetical.
§ Mr. MULDOONasked what are the various interests concerned in the administration of the Grant to the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society, and which it is hoped to have represented by three persons on the committee of that body, as mentioned in the Treasury letter of 1st April, 1913; whether any persons have already been nominated or requested to act by the Development Commissioners; and whether any pressure, coercion, or intimidation is to be exercised with a view to securing the consent of certain officials to act who have already expressed themselves as uncompromisingly opposed to the proceedings of the Development Commissioners?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe interests concerned in the administration of the Grant proposed are those of the various branches of Irish agriculture and agricultural business, which the society's operations touch. The answers to the second and third parts of the hon. Member's question are in the negative.