MR. O'KEEFFE (Limerick)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will direct inquiries into the complaints 1470 regarding the working of two contracts under his Department in the City of Limerick, recently brought forward by the Trades Council of that city—namely, that, in the contract for works and repairs of the several barracks in the stated military district, no local carpenters, masons, or painters have ever been employed by the Government local contractor; that the contractor refused the Trade Society standard wages, although himself drawing a large margin of profit from the declared contract price; and that, as regards the contract for bread to the Army in Limerick, no regular trade bakers are employed or standard wages paid by the contractor for such supplies; and whether, having regard to the Resolution of this House of February, 1891, arrangement will be made to secure payment of the proper standard wages to competent workmen by the War Department in the contracts mentioned?
§ MR. WOODALL (Hanley)No complaint has been received as regards the non-employment of local men. I may, however, point out that the War Office has no power to insist upon the employment of workmen from any particular locality. All contractors are bound to pay the current rates of the district; and no complaint of their having failed to do so has reached the War Office.