22.
asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if the Admiralty proposes to introduce a new system of witnessed pay-sheets for their employés and abolish the necessity of their providing receipt stamps; and, if so, when?
As the reply is somewhat long, I will, with my Noble and gallant Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Following is the reply:
The question doubtless refers to the system of witnessed pay-sheets recently authorised by the Treasury under which signatures and receipt stamps are dispensed with when large numbers of persons on salary or wages are paid at one time. As regards workmen on wages, the system in question has been in operation for many years at the dockyards, etc., but is quite new as affecting other classes of employé At the Admiralty Office, the scheme was put into operation for certain classes on the 6th March, and will be extended as circumstances permit, such extension being subject to the institution of efficient safeguards against personation. At some of the dockyards, etc., the new arrangement was applied at the end of last month, and it is anticipated that at another dockyard it will be applied at the end of the current month. In other cases, however, its application is not desired by the staff or the numbers paid are not sufficiently large to justify its adoption.