36. Mr. WILLIAM REDMONDasked the Postmaster-General if he can state the rate of pay obtaining on the Peninsular and Oriental steamers and all other ships under contract with the Government for carrying mails; and whether the Government will take steps to ensure that fair and reasonable wages are paid on all vessels receiving Government subsidies?
§ The ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Captain Norton)The Fair-Wages Resolution has never been considered applicable to contracts with steamship companies for the conveyance of mails. Inasmuch as steamship companies, like railway companies, are mainly engaged in large commercial operations, and the conveyance of mails is only an incidental part of the general business of transport on which their labour force is employed it would not appear to be properly applied to them.