84. Miss Leeasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to state the average daily wage of cutters in the sugar cane industry in the West Indies; and how this compares with wages paid for similar work in Queensland, Australia.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydNo average figure can be given for the West Indies as a whole since methods and conditions of work vary considerably and payment is usually at piece rates. Average daily earnings, taking territories separately, range from about 11s. 6d. to 16s. 8d.
The circumstances of the industry in Queensland are so different from those in the West Indies that no straight forward comparison can be made, though I understand that in Queensland both individual output and earnings are higher than in the West Indies.