Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎170v] (340/442)

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Written Answers. HOUSE OF COMMONS Written Answers.
Insurance Cards.
Mr. STUART WORTLEY asked the
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
whether the Insurance Commissioners have
received complaints from Sheffield that
insurance cards are being refused, or
issued in quite insufficient numbers, to
those applying on behalf of works socie
ties duly constituted under the Commis
sioners’ model rules ; while cards are being
issued preferentially and without limit to
applicants from certain approved socie
ties ; and whether it is the intention, as
well as the probable effect, of this unfair
discrimination to force workmen to join
societies belonging to a limited list ap
proved by the Commissioners and not
spontaneously chosen by the workmen
themselves; and whether instructions will
be given that cards shall be issued with
out discrimination to applicants in time for
the first weekly pay-day after 15th July 1 ?
Mr. MASTERMAN : I am not aware that
cards have in any case been issued in in
sufficient numbers, and certainly there is
absolutely no preferential treatment as be
tween different approved societies. If the
hon. Member will give me the names of
actual societies which consider they have
had insufficient supplies I will at once in
quire A booklet formed of a single gathering of nested bifolia. into the matter.
Aged Contributors.
Mr. PIKE PEASE asked the Secretary
to the Treasury whether payments must
be made for insurance by those who will
attain the age of seventy before 1st Janu
ary, 1913, in view of the fact that they can
not receive any benefits ?
Mr. MASTERMAN: The hon. Member
is misinformed as to the position of per
sons of this age. If they are liable to pay
contributions in the period between 15th
July and the date of their seventieth birth
day i hey will not be disqualified from-re
ceiving benefit after that date. Their posi
tion is fully explained in Circular A.S. 29,
of which I am sending a copy to the hon.
Member. As I stated in answer to the
hon. and gallant Member for West Hamp
shire on the 4th July, if the man’s society
adopts the scheme suggested on the first
page of Circular A.S. 29 such a person
would receive sick pay after the expira
tion of six months at the rate of 6s. for
the first thirteen weeks (and 5s. for subse
quent weeks) of illness for as many weeks
as contributions had been paid by or in
respect of him. notwithstanding that he
would then be over seventy years of age.
Kingstown Harbour Dues.
Mr. HAYDEN asked the Secretary to
the Treasury whether he will lay upon the
Table of the House a copy of the opinion
which the Commissioners of Kingstown
Harbour have obtained to the effect that.
Section 3, of 6 and 7 Will. IV., c. 117, has
not been repealed by 1 and 2 Vic., c. 36,
nor by the Dublin Port Act, 1869, where
by the masters of passenger vessels have
a right to commute dues in Kingstown
Harbour; and whether he will explain why
it was that this right of commutation was
never exercised by masters of passenger
vessels until November, 1910, and that up
to the 1st of that month passenger vessels
were charged 5s. per trip in accordance
with the schedule of dues published up to
that date by the Commissioners of Kings
town Harbour?
Mr. MASTERMAN: The legal opinion
to which the hon. Member refers was in
the words embodied in the reply I gave to
the hon. Member for Dublin South on the
18th ultimo. I am not aware w r hy masters
of vessels did not apply before November,
1910, for the commutation of dues to which
they were entitled.
Cocoa and Chocolate Manufacture.
Viscount WOLMER asked the Chan
cellor of the Exchequer whether he can
state what rebate German and foreign
manufacturers of cocoa and chocolate are
entitled to when exporting cocoa and
chocolate to the Isle of Man, and whether
British manufacturers exporting cocoa and
chocolate to the Isle of Man are entitled
to any rebate on the duties they have paid
on the cocoa; and, if there no such rebate
in this case, whether he can see his way to
introduce legislation placing British manu
facturers of cocoa and chocolate on terms
of equality with foreign competitors in
the Isle of Man?
Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : I am not aware
what rebate or drawback is allowed by
I ranee or Germahy iu the "case referred
to. Drawback is allowed by this country
on cocoa goods of British manufacture re
moved from the United Kingdom, to the
Isle of Man in respect of the sugar, if any
used, but not in respect of the cocoa. It
has not been represented to me that
British manufacturers are under any dis
ability which calls for legislation.
Irish Land Stock.
Sir WILLIAM BULL asked the Chan
cellor of the Exchequer will he state the pre-