§ COLONEL MURRAY (Bath)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a firm of contractors which supplies material for the Army refuses to permit its employés to join their local Volunteer battalion; and, if so, whether he will be able to prevent such discouragement of this branch of the Forces?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN, Stirling, &c.)The hon. and gallant Member was good enough to inform me privately of the name of the firm to which his question had reference. I requested them to report on the subject, and I will read their reply—
The question of allowing our employés to join the Volunteers has had from time to time our consideration, with the result that we have decided that it would be inexpedient to grant this permission, as in a large factory of this 1142 description the absence of a number of men at the same time would involve the stopping of other machinery besides their own, thereby inflicting great hardship on many others, including women and children, whose wages would suffer in consequence.…. In all cases where men who already were Volunteers have joined the service of the firm, no objection has been made to their continuing efficient members of the local corps.In a subsequent letter it is explained that the senior member of the firm, who has but recently retired from it, was for 20 years an officer in the local corps and one of its most active supporters, and still gives prizes and the use of his grounds for drill. It is to be regretted that any difficulties should be experienced by those who desire to join the Volunteer Force, but I do not feel called upon to interfere with the relations between an employer and his workpeople in this respect.