§ Major W. MURRAYasked the Secretary of State for War whether the Government hired furniture to munition workers at Gretna during the War; whether, seeing that most of the workers who came from a distance had to give up their homes and to part with their furniture owing to the refusal of the railway companies to carry it, his Department will allow the furniture thus hired to be sold to the tenants; and whether monies already received for hire will be counted as part payment of the purchase price of such furniture?
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I am prepared to give the employés now at His Majesty's Factory, Gretna, the option of purchasing the furniture at present hired by them, subject to the purchase price being fixed by a Government valuer, but I cannot agree to allowing any monies paid for rental to be accepted as part payment.