§ SIR GEORGE BADEN-POWELLI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in reference to the successful experiment recently made at Dunkirk in the transmission home of wages due to British seamen discharged it foreign ports, facilities will now be afforded in other ports besides Dunkirk?
§ * MR. RITCHIEThe transmission experiment at Dunkirk has been made under somewhat exceptional circumstances, and the Board of Trade are anxious to have further experience of the operation of the system there under more normal conditions before deciding to extend it to other continental ports. The experiment at Dunkirk will, therefore, be continued for another year before any further steps are taken.
§ MR. A. J. MUNDELLA (Sheffield, Brightside)Can the right hon. Gentleman tell us what the cost has been for the first year?
§ * MR. RITCHIEMy recollection is the cost has exceeded the receipts by about £120. Of course the right hon. Gentleman knows there was a large transmission of wages through the Post Office before the experiment was tried.
§ MR. MUNDELLAFifty-two and a half per cent, last year.
§ * MR. RITCHIEIt was not more than 10 or 15 per cent, more than it was before.