Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎172v] (344/442)

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Written Answers. HOUSE OF COMMONS Written Answer?
are required to show that good grounds
exist for their complaints before time and
money is spent upon investigation; and
whether, in the event of such complaints
being shown to be unfounded or vexatious,
any steps are taken against the com
plainant or to prevent the recurrence of
similar incidents'!
Dr. MACNAMARA: In most cases the
complaints received have shown sufficient
ground to justify investigation; but if the
information given is, primd facie, insuffi
cient, action is deferred till further par
ticulars are forthcoming. So far as my ex
perience of these complaints goes, and
practically all of them pass through my
hands, they have been made in good faith.
Building Society Touting.
Mr. NEWTON asked the Secretary to
the Admiralty whether he is aware that
representatives of building societies are
in the habit of touting for business on
board of His Majesty’s ships among men
of the Royal Navy; whether such touting
is by the permission of any person or
authority and, in this event, whether
access to His Majesty’s ships for this pur
pose is permitted to representatives of all
such societies or is restricted to the repre
sentatives of bond fide societies only; and
whether he will consider the advisability,
so long as access to His Majesty’s ships is
permitted to insurance agents, of taking
steps to protect the men from the misre
presentations of those agents 1
Dr. MACNAMARA: An Order was is
sued in November last directing that after
an interval of six months no traders should
be allowed on board His Majesty’s ships.
The time was subsequently extended to
31st October next, in order that trades
men who have enjoyed the privilege in
the fast may have an opportunity of
working off their stocks. I have no in
formation as to the representatives of
building societies canvassing for business
on board ship. Insurance agents come
within the general Order to which I have
already referred.
BRITISH ARMY.
National Reservk.
Mr. HERBERT CRAIG asked the Sec
retary of State for War whether he has
received any representations as to the in
adequacy of the present Grant of Is. per
head in respect of the National Reserve;
whether he is aware that in many cases
officers of the National Reserve have had
to provide money in order to meet the
necessary office expenses of their bat
talions; and whether he is prepared to
recommend such an increase in the amount
of the Grant as will provide for the neces
sary expenses of maintenance and organ
isation ?
Colonel SEELY : Representations have
been received on this subject, but I am not
yet in a position to make a statement.
Army Ordnance Store, Colchester.
Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANS asked
the Secretary of State for War whether a
decision as to the increase of pay in the
case of leading hands in the Army Ord
nance store at Colchester which was being
considered on the 5th March last has yet
been given ?
Colonel SEELY : Yes, Sir. On the 28th
June the General Officer Commanding con
cerned was informed that he had power to>
pay leading hands at his discretion up to
20s. 6d.
Egypt (Garrison)
Sir J. D. REES asked the Secretary of
State for War whether the garrison of
Egypt has a strength of about 6,000 men
and has, besides garrisoning Egypt, to
hold Cyprus and the Soudan; and, if so,
whether, in view of the acquisition of
Tobruk by a Power which is a member of
the Triple Alliance, of the unsettled state
of the Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. , and of the strategic changes
which have occurred in late years in Syria,.
Asia Minor, and Northern Africa, it is pro
posed to increase the Egyptian garrison to
a strength suitable to the responsibilities
of Great Britain upon the route to India
and in the Mediterranean ?
Colonel SEELY : The matters referred
to cannot be discussed with advantage be
fore the statement of policy to be made in
the House next week.
Teachers’ Pensions.
Mr. GEORGE ROBERTS asked the
President of the Board of Education
whether the terms of reference to the
Departmental Committee set up to inquire
into teachers’ pensions Avill allow the case
of teachers now retired on inadequate pen
sions to be considered; and, if not, will
he consider' the desirability of extending
he scope of the inquiry to make this
possible ?
Mr. TREVELYAN: The answer to the
first part of the question is in the affirma
tive. The second part of the question
does not, therefore, arise.
For Continuation of Written Answers, see Official Report, Uth July, 1912.