§ MR. EDWARD KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN (Rochester)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it is a fact that the men employed upon task work in Her Majesty's Dockyard, Chatham, are complaining of being checked, and for what reason are the men checked 10 and 20 per cent. of their earnings when engaged upon task work? I have also to ask whether it is true that complaints have been made to the Admiral Superintendent of the manner in which the measurers take the men's work, and of the prices paid for the same?
§ *LORD G. HAMILTONA few complaints were made about three months ago that men were not being paid, in some cases, the full amounts earned. This was at once looked into, and it was found that deductions had in a few instances been made by the measuring officers; but this was stopped, and orders were sent by the Controller to each yard that no alteration of the rates or prices paid for work should be made without the approval of the Superintendent. The result of establishing task work has been very beneficial to the workmen, as it has enabled the workmen to earn 22 per cent. above their ordinary wages, and every care will be taken in developing the system to see that the men are adequately paid according to the work they perform.