§ 49. Mr. DEVLINasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, in view of the official statement that the War Department has recently placed contracts for 5,000,000 yards of dowlas for bedding, the bulk of which order has gone to the Belfast manufacturers, and that the Department has also under consideration tenders from Belfast firms in respect of linen tent duck, he will insist that the contractors for this work shall be bound by the terms of the Fair-Wages Clause, or, failing that, that the rate of wages should be determined by a trade board specially constituted for this work under the provisions of the Trade Boards Act, more especially since it is officially admitted that the wages at present paid to many of these workers are insufficient to maintain them?
§ Mr. FORSTERYes, Sir. These orders are placed subject to the usual conditions of War Office contracts, of which observance of the Fair-Wages Resolution of the House is one.