§ Mr. WHITTYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that Sir R. Lodge recently awarded the Belfast rate of wages to the boilermakers employed at Dundalk, county Louth; whether he is aware that the engineers, composed of fitters, turners, blacksmiths, etc., working side by side with the boilermakers, were refused the Belfast rate; and will he state the reason for this differentiation of treatment?
§ Mr. HODGESir Richard Lodge had referred to him as arbitrator a number of claims made by various societies on behalf of their members employed in Irish railway shops, and among these claims was an application of the Boilermakers' Society that their members employed at the Dundalk shops of the Great Northern Railway Company, Ireland, should be raised to the rates of the Belfast shops. The arbitrator issued his award on 12th May conceding the men s claim. The claim put forward by the various societies and referred to Sir Richard Lodge did not include a similar claim made by the A.S.E., who are understood to have made such a claim to the company in the latter part of May, but have not so far reported it to the Department for arbitration. In connection with the differences involving members of the A.S.E. employed in Irish railway shops, a conference was held under the chairmanship of Sir Richard Lodge on 19th June, when an offer was made by the Irish Railways Executive Committee in settlement of the general question. This offer was to apply to the men at Dundalk represented by the A.S.E., and did not preclude these men from applying for arbitration on a question of Belfast rates being applied to Dundalk. The men have not yet accepted this offer.