§ CAPTAIN NORTON (Newington, W.)I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he can state whether, seeing that the privileges of certain War Office employees computed at 1s. a week, were taken into consideration when their minimum wage was raised to 22s. a week, these men are not entitled to a certain bonus; and whether he will see that a store house man named Wales (Army Clothing Department), who, after serving for seventeen years, was discharged in consequence of an accident, receives the bonus for that number of years service, irrespective of the compensation he received for injuries.
* THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS,) Birmingham, S.The Superannuation Act directs that gratuities on discharge shall be calculated on wages, and there is no power to vary the basis of assessment. Wales obtained under the Workmen's Compensation Act a weekly allowance which cannot be supplemented 860 by a gratuity. The hon. Member does not accurately state the amount of the minimum wage.
§ CAPTAIN NORTONDid not the man in question receive compensation in consequence of injuries sustained? Is he not therefore entitled to a bonus?
* MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMSNo, Sir. The workman in question received what he got under the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act, and he was not entitled to anything beyond that.
§ CAPTAIN NORTONIs he not entitled to a bonus?
* MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMSI do not know what the hon. and gallant Member means by a bonus. If he will speak to me privately I may clear up any misunderstanding.