§ 10 Mr. O'GRADYasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he is aware that Captain Hall applied to the manager of the Isle of Man Labour Exchange for farmers' sons as seamen, and that the said manager wrote Captain Hall promising that he would do his best to procure the same; if so, if steps will be taken to prevent managers of Labour Exchanges using their influence to defeat the Military Service Act in future; (2) if he is aware that a man named Turton agreed to go to Fleetwood on 12th May, but on finding out that there was a dispute refused to proceed, on. which Mr. Gubbon, the manager of the Isle of Man Labour Exchange, Douglas branch, wrote to. Turton on 15th May threatening prosecution unless he went to Fleetwood at once to join the ship; if so, on whose instructions did Mr. Gubbon act in using a Government office for this purpose; and (3) if he is aware that the manager of the Labour Exchange at Douglas, Isle of Man, has been and is supplying men to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and the London and North-Western Railway Companies' boats at Fleetwood, where there has been a dispute for the past four months owing to the railway companies having refused Government arbitration; and, if so, whether steps will be taken to prevent the Labour Exchange from supplying men in these circumstances?
Mr. HARCOURTThe Douglas Labour Exchange is controlled by the Manx Government and not by the Board of Trade, and I am therefore unable to deal with the points raised by my hon. Friend 1185 as regards the action stated to have been taken by this Exchange. I should explain that a temporary Exchange was maintained for some time at Douglas by the Board of Trade at the request of the Manx Government; but this Exchange was closed on the 8th April last.
§ 11. Mr. O'GRADYasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that a man named W. H. Lowey, a blacksmith, of Douglas, who had appealed to the tribunal for military exemption, was taken by Captain Hall, of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, to Fleetwood on the promise of exemption from military service; will ho say by whose authority Captain Hall made these promises for the purpose of defeating the Military Service Bill; and if he intends to take action to prevent Captain Hall, or any other person, taking such a course in future?