§ Mr. BARNESasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he is yet in a position to intimate his decison in regard to increase of wages for pensioner messengers; is he aware that his predecessor committed himself to an increase in November last, and, in view of that fact, will the increase be made retrospective; and if he is in a position to state whether the position of the lowest-paid Government workers, such as lower division clerks, port watchers, etc., has been considered with a view to increasing their pay corresponding to increases given recently to the workers in the Government factories or to giving bonuses during the War?
§ Mr. ACLANDIt has been decided that as from the 1st instant the pay of pensioner200W messengers employed in the public service shall be raised for the class as a whole from £1 1s. a week to £1 4s. a week, and for the higher grade, to be limited in number to 25 per cent. of the total number employed in a single department, from £1 4s. a week to a scale of £1 4s. a week rising by annual increments of 1s. a week to £1 7s. 6d. a week. The Government are not prepared to grant a war increase of pay to clerical classes and Government servants in general. If heads of Departments desire to make any representations in favour of any of the lowest paid classes of workmen in their employ based on comparison with outside rates of wages for similar work, the Treasury is ready to consider such representations on their merits.