§ Mr. MacNEILLasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the names of the Scandinavian quarries from which granite has been taken in preference to granite from the Irish and British quarries on the ground that the Norwegian granite is cheaper than Irish and British granite, and the names of the persons having large pecuniary interests in the Norwegian quarries to which this preference has been given?
§ Mr. M'KENNAThe Admiralty have not the information asked or.
§ Mr. MacNEILLDid not the right hon. Gentleman tell me that he would inquire, and that there was no disposition to conceal the names?
§ Mr. M'KENNAI do not know yet, and I do not think the contract has been given. I do not know which Norwegian or Scandinavian company is likely to get the contract. The contract is made by the contractors for the whole of the work, and with the Norwegian quarries and not by the Admiralty.
§ Mr. PIRIEIs it not the case that many of the owners of these Norwegian quarries are owners also of granite quarries in the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. PIRIEIs it not the case that the Norwegian quarry owners are at present employing skilled labour at a higher rate of wages than is paid in this country, and also that the reason why this contract will go to Norwegian quarry-owners, if it does go to them, is that the home quarry-owners have more remunerative contracts to carry out at home than the contract under discussion?
Mr. M`KENNAI cannot answer the last question; I have no knowledge of the contracts the home quarries have at present. I believe as a fact that the wages paid to skilled men by the Norwegian quarry-owners are higher than the wages paid at present in the home quarries.
§ Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINIn view of answers which the right hon. Gentleman has given, and in view of the facts stated by him that he believes it to be the fact that the contract for granite has not yet been made, will he now take steps to secure these orders for British producers?
Mr. M`KENNAI think the right hon. Gentleman is thoroughly aware of the procedure in these cases. The Admiralty give the contract as a whole for the whole work, and the contractor gets his materials wherever it suits him best. The contractor will no doubt in the execution of his contract endeavour to buy granite, but the duty of buying granite rests with the contractor, and not with the Admiralty.
§ Mr. A. CHAMBERLAINI do not think the right hon. Gentleman has understood my question. The contractor would, of course, be perfectly willing to get his granite at home if the right hon. Gentleman will make it worth his while. My question is whether in view of the fact that the Government are spending themselves and urging municipalities to spend a great deal of public money in the effort to procure work for the unemployed, the Government will not endeavour to secure this work also for British employment?
§ Mr. M'KENNAThe present Government, like the late Government, of which the right hon. Gentleman was a Member, is a Free Trade Government. It has entered into this contract upon precisely the same principles that the right hon. Gentleman entered into contracts when he was at the Admiralty.
§ Mr. LEIF JONESIf my right hon. Friend is going to adopt the suggestion of hon. and right hon. Gentlemen opposite that no granite except British granite is to be used, will he also say that no granite from outside Westmorland is to be used?
§ Mr. LEVERTON HARRISIt it not the fact that the decision rested with the Admiralty and not with the contractor whether foreign or British granite should be used?
Mr. M`KENNAIt no longer rests with the British Government. I have already stated that the contract on the Government side is already signed. Under that contract the contractor has offered to execute the work at a certain price provided he is allowed to use granite from whatever source he pleases, but he is prepared to execute the contract at £30,000 less than if he is compelled to use only British granite.
§ Mr. LEVERTON HARRISThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my question as to whether it rested with the Admiralty.
§ Mr. M'KENNAI have stated that it rested in the past with the Admiralty, and the Admiralty have given their decision.
§ Mr. MacNEILLI understand this from the right hon. Gentleman's original answer to me, that no granite has been taken for this work from Scandinavian quarries.
§ Mr. M'KENNAI cannot speak of my own knowledge, and I do not know what the contractor has done, but as the contract was only signed last week or this week, I assume he has not had time to select any place or to get granite from anywhere.
Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKEROrder, order. We have already had a great many supplementary questions, and I think the time has come when notice should be given.
§ Mr. WILKIEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the granite for the new naval base at Rosyth is being imported ready dressed; and, if so, whether he will take steps to have the granite dressed in this country, in view of the large number of masons out of work?
§ Mr. M'KENNAThe matter is entirely in the hands of the contractor.
§ Mr. STEPHEN COLLINSIs it not the fact that Norwegian granite was not only supplied, but supplied ready dressed, from Norway for the erection of the offices of the "Morning Post," the principal organ of the Tariff Reform League?
§ Mr. RENWICKCan the right hon. Gentleman state the difference in cost of granite dressed in this country and in Norway?
Mr. M`KENNAI do not know the cost, but if the hon. Gentleman will give me notice of it I will inquire.
Mr. CHIOZZA-MONEYDoes the right hon. Gentleman now fully understand the way in which duties on raw materials find their way into tariffs?
§ Mr. LEVERTON HARRISMay I ask if this granite is to be dressed in this country, he will see that it is dressed by British and not Norwegian labour?