§ MR. KEARLEY (Devonport)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the Army Clothing Department, Pimlico, acting through a body called the Devonport Shirt Association (consisting of officers' wives and daughters, and presided over by the garrison chaplain), employs soldiers' wives and widows in making ordinary service shirts at sweating rates of pay; whether he is aware that these shirts are cut out at headquarters, and sent down in bales to Devonport and other naval and military towns for distribution by this and similar Associations among the garrison women, and that the following conditions are imposed upon the workers: that the price allowed for making—namely, 7¾d. per shirt, is only to be paid for shirts that are well made, and, if any fault should be found with the work, the maker of the shirt is to take it home for alteration; that bad workers will be struck off the list if they take no pains to improve; that should any shirt after passing the local committee be rejected at Pimlico, a fine of 3d. is deducted for every shirt so condemned; and that the names of de- 755 faulters in this respect will be posted at the barracks; whether he is aware that out of the sum of 7¾d. the women have to find their own needles and cotton, and in the event of not possessing a sewing machine, have to incur a further expense of 1½d. per garment for machining, and that it takes a good needlewoman not less than eight hours to make a single garment; whether he is aware that there are as many as 300 women in the three towns alone employed in this work, and will he state the total employment throughout the country; and whether, in view of the undertaking given by the Government last year that the terms of Government employment should be beyond reproach, he will cause investigation to be made into this matter with a view to its rectification?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. WOODALL,) Hanley(who replied) said: In order to benefit the wives of soldiers, and for the education of the younger members of their families, the practical needlework Associations of ladies under the direct control of the General Officers commanding have been formed in several districts. To these Associations the Army Clothing Department, considerably to its own inconvenience, issues cut-out materials for shirts, and pays for making them up at rates stated to be 42 per cent. above ordinary trade prices. The Clothing Department cannot go behind the Associations through which it gives employment to the women, beyond laying down strict rules fixing the smallest payment which may be made to the workers. The women have to provide themselves with needles and thread; but there is no prohibition of handsewing. It is estimated that the average time required to make a shirt is two-and-a-half hours with a machine, or five hours without. Bad work is necessarily rejected. It is not known how many women are employed under each Association, but it is supposed that about 3,000 women in all benefit by the arrangement. I may add that the system was adopted and is carried on solely from charitable motives, and that the Clothing Department would prefer to have the shirts made by ordinary contract. The demand for this employment of soldiers' wives much exceeds the supply which can be furnished.