§ 32. Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that, when the practice of letting out to contract the discharging of coal at Devonport Dockyard was discontinued in July last and the Admiralty commenced to do the work itself the number of men engaged according to custom was reduced and the wages were also reduced; whether he is aware that in connection with the discharging of the first ship under the new conditions each man received eleven shillings less for the job than he would have received from the contractor under the Fair-Wages Clause; and whether he will have inquiry made into the matter and arrange that his Department will not pay less wages than it compelled the contractor to pay?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)The reply to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part of the question, the statement may be true of certain individuals, as the earnings of the whole were pooled; but the men engaged certainly did not receive less, in the aggregate, than they would have received from the contractor had he supplied the labour for the entire operation. The earnings of the men are not now being pooled, and each man is paid according to the particular work he performs under the Admiralty scheme of prices. I saw representatives of the men when at Devonport a month ago in connection with the hearing of petitions, and they expressed themselves as now quite satisfied.