§ *SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that a girl has been dismissed from Messrs. Swan and Edison's Works at Ponders End for joining the women's union, a branch of the Electrical Trades Union; whether the manager has stated that any girl joining the union will be dismissed; and whether the Admiralty mean to enforce the decision accepted by the Treasury in the McCorquodale case, that any worker employed on a Government contract should be at liberty to join a trades union?
186 *The right hon. Baronet further asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, with regard to the strike of electrical workers at Ponders End, whether an answer had been received by the Admiralty from the company; and, if so, to what effect?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. G. J. GOSCHEN,) St. George's, Hanover SquareI regret that the Admiralty have not yet at their disposal information sufficient to enable me to reply to the questions of the right hon. Baronet. The Admiralty are in communication with the Edison and Swan Electric Light Company on the subject, and I hope shortly to receive their explanation.