§ 12. Mr. BYRNEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the rates of wages paid by the Irish railway companies to the various grades of their employés and the number of hours worked by each grade daily; if any increase in wages has been granted to meet the 50 per cent. increase in the cost of living since the outbreak of war; and, for the purpose of comparison, will he give the same information regarding employés of railways in Great Britain?
Mr. RUNCIMANI cannot give the hon. Gentleman up-to-date information on the rates of wages paid to and the number of hours worked by the employés of the railway companies. An increase of wages has, I understand, been granted in certain cases by way of a war bonus, varying on the Irish railways from 1s. to 2s. a week, and of 5s. a week on the British railways.