§ MR. T. F. RICHARDS (Wolverhampton, W.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the White Star Steamship Company have refused to pay their stewards for working overtime and at dock work, owing to a strike in progress when their steamship "Oceanic" arrived at New York; 401 that the men were threatened prosecution unless they obeyed orders, and, after working five days and one night, were paid 10 dollars and 30 cents less than the usual rates, and, although one of these men fell ill and was ordered by the ship's doctor to take rest, the second mate refused to allow this, and the man broke down and is still ill; and whether he can introduce some kind of legislation to prevent the ship's officers from imposing conditions of service upon their employees aboard ship that they could not impose on land.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE, Carnarvon Boroughs)I am informed that although the articles of agreement of the "Oceanic" contained a stipulation that no overtime would be paid, the stewards who worked overtime owing to the strike at New York received gratuities in addition to their regular wages. In the absence of the "Oceanic" I cannot obtain information as to the statement in the second part of the Question, but I am making inquiries. No further legislation affecting merchant shipping is at present in contemplation.