§ 70. Mr. MACQUISTENasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the fact that in a recent prosecution for theft from the staff gratuity box in an Oxford Street restaurant it was stated in Court that the money contributed by the customers to this box was retained by the restaurant proprietors, he will have an inqury made into the matter?
§ Sir V. HENDERSONMy right hon. Friend cannot usefully add anything to the answers he gave on the 8th instant, except that he sees no reason for his ordering any inquiry. There are no grounds for advising interference with the sentence passed by the Court, and that is the only matter with which he is concerned.
§ Mr. MACQUISTENIs it the case, as stated by the magistrate, that the proprietors have appropriated or taken possession of the money subscribed for the staff; and, if so, why is it that the man who only steals occasionally a small sum from this box is very properly to be imprisoned, but the man who steals the whole of it regularly is to escape?
§ Sir V. HENDERSONThat question was fully answered by my right hon. Friend in replying to two supplementary questions on the 8th instant, if the horn Member will read the answers.
§ Mr. W. THORNEIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that the people in question are unorganised, and that if they were in an organisation, they would have someone to look after their interests?
§ Mr. THURTLEIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that evils such as this are inevitable under the Capitalist system?