HC Deb 30 April 1906 vol 156 cc215-6
MR. STEADMAN

To ask the Postmaster General whether he can offer any explanation as to the cause of the em- ployees at the Holloway postal telegraph factory being placed on short time; and whether orders are still being given to outside manufacturers for telegraph and telephone apparatus which could be produced cheaper at the factory, which has been recently enlarged at a considerable cost.

(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) I regret that it was necessary recently to put some of the hands at Holloway on short time. They have now been placed on full time again, and I am taking such steps as I can to keep the work constant, and to reduce to a minimum both short time and discharges. The factories are now receiving the orders for such apparatus as can be produced there as cheaply as outside, subject of course to the capabilities of the factories.