§ Mr. REMERasked the Minister of Health what is the recognised standard of ability which enables a man to be classed as a skilled bricklayer; whether a man who can lay 300, 400, or 500 bricks per day would be entitled to this description; and whether he has any cases within his knowledge where discharged soldiers who can lay as many bricks per day have been refused employment by the unions?
§ Dr. ADDISONI am not aware that there is any recognised standard based on the number of bricks per day which a man can lay. The reports that have hitherto been made to the Department as to the experience on housing schemes already in progress reveal a great variation in the number of bricks laid per man per day ranging from 250 to about 600. I may add that the Department estimates that the average difference in cost in the erection of houses as between bricklaying628W at the rate of 300 bricks per day and 600 is £51 19s. 3d. per house. It is estimated, also, that on the average of the houses being built, a man would build 3½ houses per annum if laying bricks at the rate of 300 per day and six houses per annum if working at the rate of 600 bricks per day.