§ MR. AUBERON HERBERTasked the President of the Local Government Board, If it is true that the Faringdon 170 Highway Board have dismissed certain labourers from their employment on account of their belonging to an Agricultural Labourers Union?
§ MR. STANSFELD,in reply, said, the Local Government Board had no jurisdiction over highway boards. But his Department had written to the Faringdon Highway Board, and had received a reply, which he would read to the House. It was as follows:—
Edward Harris and James Wheeler, two men employed by the Faringdon Highway Board, having at a meeting of the Board admitted to the way-wardens that they would have to obey the orders of the executive committee of the Agricultural Labourers Union in any agitation for an increase of wages, with the alternative of a strike, the Board, considering they were a public body administering public funds, do not deem it expedient that their discretion should be fettered or controlled in their maintenance of the roads, or that the public should be exposed to the inconvenience of having the road works suddenly stopped by the action of an irresponsible committee; they, therefore, direct their surveyor to discharge the two men at the end of their week's engagement.He might add that the men were foremen in the receipt of 12s. a-week, with the addition of an extra 10s. per quarter.