§ Mr. EVELYN CECILasked the Secretary for the Colonies whether any inquiry has been received from the Minister of Defence in New Zealand; whether the services of mechanics who are prepared to come to Great Britain to relieve the pressure of work caused by the War would be acceptable; and, if so, what reply His Majesty's Government have sent?
Mr. HARCOURTI have informed the Governor of New Zealand that His Majesty's Government highly appreciate the offer of mechanics to come to this country from the Dominions to assist in the manufacture of munitions of war, and are most grateful for the spirit which dictated the offer, but that in view of the great distance to be travelled, the uncertainty as to the numbers who would be prepared to come to England on terms of British standard wages, and the probable difficulties of ascertaining the exact degree of skill possessed by them, it is not possible to make special arrangements in regard to the transport of such workmen to this country. It has, however, been pointed out that there is at present an unsatisfied demand for labour in all highly skilled classes of engineering and shipyard labour, and that if qualified workmen of this type were to come to this country and were prepared to accept British standard wages they could no doubt readily be placed in employment on the production of armaments, and arrangements would be made for this purpose.