§ MR. MCCARTAN (Down, S.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state what number of 392 petitions has been received by the Trinity Board, Irish Lights Board, and Board of Northern Lights since 1st May, 1893, in connection with the grievances of light-keepers; whether the light-keepers have been frequently assured that the matter of their grievances was receiving most careful attention; whether he is aware that, by circular dated 1st January last, they were informed that a sum of 30s. a year, which had been formerly deducted from their pay as part premium or compulsory insurance, would in future be paid out of the Mercantile Marine Fund; whether the contribution of less than 1d. per day has satisfied the light-keepers; whether he can explain why gas stations have been selected for increased pay and oil stations excluded, considering that there is much more work and greater responsibility at a first-order oil station than at a gas station; whether the emoluments formerly valued at £18 have now been valued at £25, thus giving £7 a year to the Mercantile Marine Fund during the whole service of the light-keeper's 40 years; whether he is aware of the general discontent at present existing among the men; and, if lie will make inquiry into the matter, with the view of having the alleged grievances of the service remedied?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADEPetitions have been received by three lighthouse authorities during the last five years with respect to the grievances of light-keepers in their employ; but I have no information as to the actual number of the petitions. These petitions received the careful attention of the lighthouse authorises, who submitted to the Board of Trade a scale of remuneration, which the Board approved. The principal effect of the new scale is, in the first place, as stated by the honourable Member, to increase the wages of the ordinary light-keepers by 30s. a year and, secondly, to increase their prospective annual pension by £4 13s. 4d. Additional remuneration was also sanctioned in special cases. The Board of Trade were advised by the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House that work in connection with stations where gas is made should receive 393 higher remuneration than work at stations where oil only is used. The revaluation of the emoluments is correctly stated in the question. The effect, however, is not to make any addition to the Mercantile Marine. Fund, but to increase the prospective pension of the light-keepers. I have no means of knowing how far the above improvements have satisfied the light-keepers; but I have no reason to think that there is discontent among them, or that they still have grievances which need any further inquiry. May I add that nearly all these questions relate to mere matters of detail, and it would have been much more satisfactory if the honourable Member, instead of putting them on the Paper, had written to me privately for the information.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)No, no! We want to know as well.