§ 80. Mr. BARNESasked the President of the Board of Trade the numbers of Chinese sailors on British ships and the wages paid to them as compared with British seamen; and if he is aware of a feeling of resentment in British ports at the employment of such men at low rates of wages?
§ The FIRST COMMISSIONER of WORKS (Mr. Harcourt)I am unable to state the actual number of Chinese seamen now serving on British ships, or to give detailed statistics as to the wages paid to them as compared with those of British seamen. The number of engagements at mercantile marine offices in the United Kingdom in 1915 of Chinese seamen for service on British ships was 14,224, and of British seamen 384,602. The wages of Chinese seamen and of British seamen vary from time to time and from port to port, but the former are generally lower than the latter. I am aware that the employment of Chinese seamen on British ships is not often popular with British seamen.