§ Colonel HALL WALKERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he will say what was the number of officials in the employ of the Board in April, 1914, April, 1916, and April, 1919; what was the annual cost of their salaries in the years 1914, 1916, and 1919, respectively; what are the salaries, emoluments, or allowances made to the members of the Central Agricultural Wages Board and district committees, respectively; what salaries or other allowances are made to the secretaries of the respective Board and Committees; and what has been the total cost of the Wages Board and Committees' work up to date?
§ Mr. PRATT(1) Board of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Number of officials and annual cost as shown in Parliamentary Estimates:
2291W(2) Members of the Wages Board and of the District Wages Committees are paid fees or allowances in respect of attendance at meetings. The scale is as follows, namely:
Fees to Appointed Members:
Wages Board, up to £3 3s. a day.
District Wages Committees, up to £l 11s. 6d. a day.
Allowances to Representative Members:
Wages Board, up to £1 a day.
District Wages Committees, up to £l a day.
The Secretary of the Agricultural Wages Board is an officer lent by the Ministry of Labour. His total emoluments from public funds amount to £600 per annum, with the usual war bonus.
Secretaries of District Wages Committees are paid salaries ranging from £150 to £170 per annum, as part time officers. In one or two cases they are also part-time inspectors, and they are paid £150 per annum for that work.
(3) The total cost of the Agricultural Wages Board and District Wages Commit tees up to 31st March last was, approximately, £52,750.