§ 58. Mr. JOYCEasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the manner in which the Fair-Wage Resolution of the House of Commons is being evaded by the engineer of the Board of Works, Ireland, at the canal at Limerick, by employing men who are known as handymen both at masonry and painting to the detriment of bonâ-fide tradesmen; whether Mr. Fletcher, the engineer, has been waited upon by the local trade societies and asked to discontinue this practice, and that his answer has been that he is not allowed enough money to employ proper tradesmen; and, if this is so, will an inquiry be held into the matter with the view of compelling the Board of Works to carry out the Fair-Wage Resolution of the House of Commons?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Masterman)I have made inquiry into this matter. There has been no violation of the Fair-Wages Resolution, and I understand that the Board of Works engineer did not make the statement attributed to him. Two men have been employed, one on rough whitewashing, etc., formerly done by the lockkeepers, and one on rough masonry work, formerly done by the head of a gang of labourers. This work has never been done by the skilled men represented by the local mechanics' institute, and all work requiring skilled men is kept for such men.