§ MR. JAMES ROWLANDS (Finsbury, E.)asked the Postmaster General whether his attention had been drawn to the case of George Hotson, Harry Johnson, George Graves, and Samuel Andrews, recently employed in the leather department of the Postal Telegraph Stores in Gloucester Road, Regent's Park, who received notice to leave their employment in consequence of having notified to Mr. Montgomery, the yard foreman, that they were working under the minimum wage of their trade; whether it was a fact that the wages received by them at the time was 25s. and 26s. for 54 hours' labour per week; whether Henry Hunt, who was preparing the work for them at the time, and expressed his sympathy with their object, had since received notice to leave; whether it was a fact that Mr. Montgomery, the yard foreman, is in receipt of a Government pension of £1 per week, and a weekly salary of £3 10s. as yard foreman; and whether he would see that in future the workmen employed in this department are paid the minimum rate of wage of the trade society of 28s. per week?
§ *MR. RAIKESTwo of the four men first mentioned by the hon. Member, viz., Hotson and Johnson, were taken over from the late contractor's service, at their own request, at their existing wages of 25s. a week. Within a week they applied for 26s. a week, and were informed that any increase must depend upon their skill and industry. They then resigned. Graves, who had been employed for about three months at wages of 26s. a week, also resigned. Andrews' services were discontinued because he had not proved a satisfactory workman. The hours of labour assigned to all these men, who are leather stitchers, were 54 a week. It is believed that the regular trade wages for this class of work are 25s. a week, and a large number of men have applied for employment at this rate. As regards Hunt, who did superior work, and received wages of 28s. a week, I find that he had given much dissatisfaction by his late attend-dance, and his services were, therefore, dispensed with. Mr. Montgomery, the yard foreman, has an army pension of 19s. 4½d. a week, and is in the receipt of a salary from the Post Office of £160 a year. As regards the last question, I beg to say that, while it will always be my intention to pay fair wages for work done, it would not be consistent with my public duty to pledge myself to pay any particular rate of wages to workmen employed in the Post Office Factories.