§ MR. ALBERT GREYasked the Surveyor General of the Ordnance, Whether it is the case, as stated in The Pall Mall Gazette of February 22nd, that the wages of the workwomen employed in the Army Clothing Factory at Pimlico have been reduced 25 per cent, in the last year?
MR. MAGNIACasked whether it is the fact, as currently reported, that the women in the factory referred to were working at starvation wages; and whether ho will give a Return showing the number of workers whose wages were respectively below and above 10s. per week in the week ending February 12?
§ THE SURVEYOR GENERAL OF ORDNANCE (Mr. WOODALL)I shall be happy to give the Returns, and to include in them all the information I can. The statement referred to in the first Question is not accurate. The average wages of the women employed in the Army Clothing Factory during 1884 amounted to 15s. 8d. a week of actual earnings. The average for 1885 was 15s. 8½d. The corresponding average for the four weeks ending February 17 last was 17s. 1½d. Perhaps the numbers at different rates of wages will make the comparison more intelligible. In 1881 and 1885 respectively there were employed in all 1,259 and 1,399 women. Of these, 231 and 262 received respectively less than 10s. a week; 752 and 805 from 10s. to £1 a week; 254 and 291 from 20s. to 30s. a week; and 22 and 41 respectively over 30s. a week. I may add that certain Memorials and representations have been addressed to the Secretary of State concerning the general administration of the clothing factory, to which I am giving my own very careful attention.