§ MR. T. F. RICHARDS (Wolverhampton, W.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the firm of Messrs. Morrison and Mason, contractors for the Board of Admiralty at Portsmouth, reduced the wages of the labourers on the 15th September from 27s. 9d. for a week of fifty-six hours to 23s. 1d. for a week of fifty-six hours; whether he is aware that at the present time these labourers are working fifty-two hours per week for 5d. per hour, or a penny per hour less than they received from the firm for the same class of work up to the 14th September, whether he is aware that the agreed winter hours in the building trade for the town of Portsmouth are forty-seven per week; whether he is aware that 6d. per hour is paid by many master builders in the town, and that his department has been so advised; whether he is aware that the Portsmouth town council, when advertising for tenders, insist upon trade union rates of wages and conditions, and that the corporation pays its own labourers 24s. per week of forty-eight hours; whether he is aware that when the reduced wages were offered by the firm most of the trade unionists in its employ demanded the recognised rate of 6d. per hour, and, failing to get it, loft the employment; whether he is aware that the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent demanded, on behalf of those labourers with whom he was concerned, the trade union rate, and the demanded was acceded to; and whether, in view of the fact that the officials of the corporation, the master builders, and the trade unionists of the town regard this reduction as injurious to the town, he can see his way at once to press the firm in question to come into line with other employers in the district.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. MCKENNA,) Monmouthshire, N.The contractors deny having reduced the rates of pay of any labourers taken on since the commencement of the work. The Admiralty have very fully considered this question, and I can add nothing to my previous replies on the subject.
§ MR. T. F. RICHARDSWill the right hon. Gentleman make further inquiry of 740 the Corporation Surveyor, the President of the Building Trades Federation, and the Secretary of the Trades Council, all of whom consider the wages paid by the contractors to be below the rate of wages recognised in the district?
§ MR. MCKENNAI have already made inquiries in these quarters. There is an issue of fact between my hon. friend and myself, but if he will give me the names of any labourers alleged to have had their wages reduced I shall be happy to inquire again.
§ MR. JOHN WARD (Stoke-on-Trent)Can the right hon. Gentleman answer the last part of the question? Did not the contractors pay less than the recognised rate to a certain body of men, and then when they protested pay the proper rate? Has it not been only since the decision of the Admiralty—
§ * MR. SPEAKERThat is an argumentative question.