§ Ms. BOWERMAN (Deptford)To ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that, in consequence of the present staff of coopers employed at the Deptford Victualling Yard being insufficient to cope with the coopers' work required there, a quantity of work, such as the heading-up and securing of wood-bound casks and cylindricals, hitherto performed by coopers at piece-work rates, is now being done by labourers, who when employed upon such work receive an extra payment of 2d. per day; and whether he will consider the desirability of restoring this work to the coopers.
(Answered by Mr. McKenna.) The work referred do does not require the services of a trained cooper, and the more economical arrangement which has been introduced brings the Admiralty into line with the ordinary trade practice.