§ Mr. ASTORasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if the Board of Admiralty have received representations from the Devon-port Dockyard Sailmakers' Association in regard to their wages, and if it is proposed to give the sailmakers an increase of wages; and are the sailmakers in the employment of private firms executing Government contracts getting on an average 5s. a week more than the sailmakers employed in His Majesty's dockyard?
§ Mr. McKENNARepresentations have been received, and are still under consideration, in connection with the annual petitions from dockyard employés. The Admiralty is not in possession of sufficiently complete information as to the wages paid by contractors to give a positive answer 561W to the latter part of the hon. Member's question, but it is not anticipated that the answer would be in the affirmative.