§ 63. Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Hoffman Manufacturing Company, Limited, Chelmsford, are sub-contractors to Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth, and Company, Limited, and Vickers, Sons, and Maxims, Limited; if so, whether this brings this firm within the Fair-Wages Clause; whether he is aware that this firm are paying adult men as low a wage as 3½d. per hour; whether he is aware that this firm print on their note-heading in red ink the fact that they are contractors to the Admiralty and other Government Departments; and whether he can see his way clear to make inquiry into the wages paid by this firm in order to discover whether they are observing the Fair-Wages Clause in their contracts?
Mr. LAMBERT (Civil Lord of the Admiralty)The Admiralty have no information as to whether the firm mentioned are holding sub-contracts for Admiralty work from the firms named. If they do, the Fair-Wages Clause applies, and the main contractor is responsible for the due observance of that Clause. As to the third part of the question, the Admiralty have no information. As to the fourth part, this appears to be the case. As regards the last part of the question, this must depend upon a specific complaint in respect of Admiralty work, and it will be necessary to furnish primâ, facie evidence that the actual rates paid for particular classes of labour are below 2118 those recognised by employers and trade societies in the district, or failing such agreed rates, are below those paid by good employers. As a strike is understood to exist at the works, it would not be practicable for an individual Department to conduct an investigation under the Fair-Wages Clause unless the Board of Trade were satisfied that such action would not be generally prejudicial.
§ Mr. BARNESIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this firm, by its own admission, is a blackleg firm, and that prior to this strike taking place they were advertising for tool makers at about 25 per cent. less than the ordinary rate of wages, and that upon the paper inviting men to come for that rate of wages they advertised the fact, and gave it the special emphasis of red ink, that they are contractors to the Admiralty; and will he take some steps to see that the firm no longer advertises or is struck off the list?
Mr. LAMBERTI have no knowledge of the information given me by my hon. Friend, but I will take note of it.
Mr. TYSON WILSONCan the firms mentioned in the question sub-let their work to another contractor without the sanction of the Admiralty?
§ 98. Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the Secretary of State for War whether the Hoffman Manufacturing Company, Limited, Chelmsford, are sub-contractors to Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth, and Company, Limited, and Vickers, Sons, and Maxims, Limited; if so, whether this brings this firm within the Fair-Wages Clause; whether he is aware that this firm are paying adult men as low a wage as 3½d. per hour; whether he is aware that this firm print on their note-heading in red ink the fact that they are contractors, to the War Office and other Government Departments; and whether he will therefore make inquiry into the wages paid by this firm, in order to discover whether they are observing the Fair-Wages Clause in their contracts?
Mr. BAKERUnder the terms of the Fair-Wages Clause a contractor is responsible for the observance of the Clause by a sub-contractor. It is not known at the War Office if the firm in question is, at the present moment, supplying the firms mentioned, or other contractors, with material required in 2119 connection with Army contracts. But, as I stated on the 14th instant, I do not think that the War Office can usefully intervene, or require a contractor to intervene, while the present dispute is in progress.