§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the hon. Member for Southampton, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he is aware that the firm of Messrs. R. Tozer and Sons, contractors for the cartage of coal, do not pay the proper rates of wages to the wheelwrights and painters in their employ, the wheelwrights receiving 1d. and 1½d. and the painters 2d. less than the rate of 9½d. per hour, besides working fifty-nine hours per week instead of fifty-four; whether he will take into consideration the advisability of the Office of Works undertaking its own cartage; and whether, in the meantime, he will take steps to secure compliance with the Fair-Wage Clause on the part of the contractors?
Mr. DUDLEY WARDMessrs. Tozer are contractors for the cartage of coal and for no other purpose. The firm has signed the Fair-Wages Clause, so far as the Government contract for cartage is concerned, and the First Commissioner has no reason to suppose that the firm in question is not loyally carrying out the conditions of that Fair-Wages Clause. He does not see his way to depart from the usual practice of the Government Departments in the direction suggested by the hon. Member.