§ Dr. ADDISONasked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether Messrs. Pickford, Limited, are contractors to any Government Department; whether he is aware that no qualified veterinary surgeon is regularly employed by this firm to attend the horses; whether he is aware that men are employed by this firm to attend the horses; at 9 a.m. without pay, and that in case of refusal to do this unpaid work are subject to have another night's pay stopped, and that not more than one man is employed to water, clean, and feed fourteen horses between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.; whether he is aware that men are employed from 4 a.m. till 12 noon, with an interval of forty minutes, and then again from 6 p.m. till 9 p.m. at the rate of payment of 3s. 4d. a day; and whether these conditions of employment are in accord with the requirements of the Department in respect of the Fair-Wages Clause?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENNThe Office of Works has no contract with Messrs. Pick-ford. The First Commissioner has no information as to whether this firm is employed by other Government Departments.
§ Dr. ADDISONasked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether any orders for the manufacture of postmen's trimmings, messengers' badges, and other work are being executed by Messrs. Hess and Company, Limited, of 44, Bethnal Green Road, trading as Hicmott and Company; whether he is aware that workers for this firm are employed from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, excepting for the dinner and tea intervals, at wages in some cases of less than £1 a 1659W week; whether he is aware that this firm employs girls aged sixteen at 5s. a week for 52½ hours' work; whether these conditions are in accord with the Fair-Wages Clause; and whether he is aware that, in order to avoid the payment to girls of a minimum of 3d. an hour after one year's experience on Government work, this firm arranges that no girl is kept on Government work for more than twelve months?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe firm hold contracts for the supply of caps, shakos, and badges for the Post Office, but they have not yet begun to make the badges. I have caused full inquiry to be made, and can find nothing to show that the conditions are in breach of the Fair-Wages Clause. The hours of work are fifty-two and a half per week. The men are being paid the recognised standard rates, and most of the women and girls earn considerably more than the minimum of 3d. an hour prescribed under the contract. Three young girls only are paid wages as low as five shillings a week, and these girls are learners. Since wages not less than the minimum rate are, in fact, being paid there can be no ground for the statement that, in order to avoid payment of the minimum wage, the firm arrange that no girl is kept on Government work for more than twelve months.
1660W
§ Dr. ADDISONasked whether any limitation to the number of the firms contracting for orders to the Stationery Office is permitted; whether any extension of orders has been entrusted to any firm without their being open to tender; whether there is any house doing work in London, except Messrs. Willmontt, who work under the fifty hours per week limitation which has secured any orders; and what precautions are taken to avoid the letting out of work to firms which employ cheap women labour, and semi-skilled and underpaid binders?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe only limitation in regard to firms contracting is that they shall be competent as regards establishment, etc., to carry out orders entrusted to them, and that they shall observe the Fair-Wages Resolution of the House, which provides for the payment of the standard rate of wages in the trade. In certain special circumstances, for instance extreme urgency, orders must necessarily be given without specified competition, but in such instances the prices are based upon previous competition. Only those houses in the printing and binding trades in London which work fifty hours a week or under on Stationery Office work are regarded as fulfilling the Fair-Wages Clause.