§ Mr. BARNESasked the Secretary for Scotland if he is aware that boys from the Paisley and Greenock industrial schools are being employed on the Perthshire fruit farms from very early in the morning till late in the afternoon and marched after their day's work in the fields to play their brass band in the public parks for the, amusement of the public; if he is aware that these boys get nothing extra for their work, although profits are being made by the owners of the farms; is he in a position to give some protection to these boys; and will he take some steps to have a full inquiry into the labour and other conditions on these farms as well as the conditions of the industrial schools?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI am aware that boys from the Kibble Institution, Paisley, and the Greenock Industrial School are engaged in fruit-picking on a farm in Perthshire. The remuneration for their services, which is at the same rate as that of adult pickers on other farms, is paid to the schools and is applied as part of their funds towards the maintenance of the boys. I am inquiring as to the conditions under which the boys work, and inquiry is also being made by the Departmental Committee on Reformatory and Industrial Schools within whose terms of reference the matter falls.