(ƒ) Employment of a learner prior to 5th July, 1915, shall, subject to the provisions of the above Act, be treated as if this Section had been in operation from the commencement of such employment. Section III. The above rates shall apply to all female workers as specified above who are employed during the whole or any part of their time in any branch of the trade as described in Section (1), but they shall not apply to any persons engaged merely as Clerks, Messengers, Persons engaged in work ordinarily carried on in a Stockroom or Warehouse, Saleswomen, Travellers, Packers, Persons engaged in cleaning premises, or to any other Persons whose work stands in relationship to the trade similar to that of the foregoing excluded classes. Section IV. A female learner is a worker who: (a) Is employed during the whole or a substantial part of her time in learning any branch or process of the trade by an employer who provides the learner with reasonable facilities for such learning; and (b) Has received a certificate or has been registered in accordance with rules from time to time laid down by the Trade Board or has made application for such certificate or registration which has been duly acknowledged and is still under consideration. Provided that the certificate or registration of a learner may be cancelled if the other conditions of learnership are not complied with. Provided that an employer may employ a female learner on her first employment, in the branch or branches of the trade as above described, without a certificate or registration for a probation period not exceeding four weeks, but the probation period shall be included in her period of learnership. Provided that notwithstanding compliance with the conditions contained in this Section a person shall not be deemed to be a learner if she works in a room used for dwelling purposes and is not in the employment of her parent or guardian. Section V. The expression "homeworker" shall be held to mean a worker who works in her own home or in any other place not under the control or management of the employer. Section VI. The above minimum time-rates are without prejudice to workers who are earning higher rates of wages, (Ireland). (8) Shirt-making Trade (Ireland). Female Workers. ORDER, DATED JANUARY 15, 1918.(a) 1918. No. 53. Whereas by Section 4 of the Trade Boards Act, 1909, (b) it is amongst other things provided as follows: (1) Trade Boards shall, subject to the provisions of this section, fix minimum rates of wages for time-work for their trades (in this Act referred to as minimum time-rates), and may also fix general minimum rates of wages for piece-work for their trades (in this Act referred to as general minimum piece-rates), and those rates of wages (whether time or piece-rates) may be fixed so as to apply universally to the trade, or so as to apply to any special process in the work of the trade or to any special class of workers in the trade, or to any special area. If a Trade Board report to the Board of Trade that it is impracticable in any case to fix a minimum timerate in accordance with this section, the Board of Trade may so far as respects that case relieve the Trade Board of their duty. (2) Before fixing any minimum time-rate or general mini- • mum piece-rate, the Trade Board shall give notice. of the rate which they propose to fix and consider any objections to the rate which may be lodged with them within three months. (3) The Trade Board shall give notice of any minimum time-rate or general minimum piece-rate fixed by them, (4) A Trade Board may, if they think it expedient, cancel or vary any minimum time-rate or general minimum piece-rate fixed under this Act, and shall reconsider any such minimum rate if the Board of Trade direct them to do so, whether an application is made for the purpose or not: Provided that the provisions of this section as to notice shall apply where it is proposed to cancel or vary the minimum rate fixed under the foregoing provisions in the same manner as they apply where it is proposed to fix a minimum rate. And whereas by Section 5 of the said Act it is amongst other things provided: (1) Until a minimum time-rate or general minimum piecerate fixed by a Trade Board has been made obligatory by order of the Board of Trade under this section, (a) See also Orders of Oct. 31, and Dec. 24, 1918, pp. 972, 981. the operation of the rate shall be limited as in this Act provided. (2) Upon the expiration of six months from the date on which a Trade Board have given notice of any minimum time-rate or general minimum piece-rate fixed by them, the Board of Trade shall make an order (in this Act referred to as an obligatory order) making that minimum rate obligatory in cases in which it is applicable on all persons employing labour and on all persons employed, unless they are of opinion that the circumstances are such as to make it premature or otherwise undesirable to make an obligatory order, and in that case they shall make an order suspending the obligatory operation of the rate (in this Act referred to as an order of suspension). And whereas under the New Ministries and Secretaries Act, 1916, (a) provision is made, amongst other things, for the transfer to the Minister of Labour of the powers and duties of the Board of Trade under the enactments mentioned in the Schedule to that Act; And whereas the said Trade Boards Act is one of the enactments mentioned in the Schedule to the said New Ministries and Secretaries Act; And whereas it is further provided by the said New Ministries and Secretaries Act that where any powers and duties are transferred by virtue of the Act, the transfer is to take effect as from a date to be fixed by order of His Majesty in Council, and that different dates may be fixed for different powers and duties; And whereas it is provided by the Ministry of Labour (Transfer of Powers) Order, 1917, (b) that the transfer to the Minister of Labour by virtue of the said New Ministries and Secretaries Act of the powers and duties of the Board of Trade under the enactments mentioned in the Schedule to that Act shall take effect as from the 10th day of January, 1917; And whereas a Trade Board was established in Ireland by the Board of Trade under the said Trade Boards Act and the Trade Boards Provisional Orders Confirmation Act, 1913, (c) on 11th May, 1914, for the period of three years commencing 14th May, 1914, and thereafter until dissolved by Order of the Board of Trade, for those branches of trade which are specified in the Trade Boards (Shirt-making) Order, 1913(d) (that is to say, the making from textile fabrics of shirts, pyjamas, aprons and other washable clothing, worn by male persons, excluding articles the making of which is included in paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the Trade Boards Act, 1909, and excluding articles which are knitted or are made from knitted fabrics), but which are not engaged in the making of handkerchiefs, neckties, scarves, mufflers, gloves, socks, stockings, spats, gaiters, hats, caps (other than chefs' caps and hospital ward caps), infants' millinery, baby linen and such articles of clothing as are made for children (a) 5-6 G. 5. c. 68. (c) 3-4 G. 5. c. clxii. (b) Printed St. R. & O., 1917, p. 419. (d) Scheduled to, and confirmed by, the Confirmation Act. (Ireland). without distinction of sex, and the said Trade Board was constituted in accordance with Regulations made by the Board of Trade under the said Trade Boards Act and dated 19th March, 1914;(a) And whereas the said Trade Board gave notice on 6th December, 1915, that they had fixed minimum time-rates of wages for female workers and general minimum piece-rates of wages for homeworkers in the said trade, and the rates fixed were made obligatory by order of the Board of Trade dated 7th June, 1916;(b) And whereas the said Trade Board gave notice on 9th December, 1916, that they proposed to vary the minimum time-rates of wages for female workers, and also to vary the general minimum piece-rates of wages for homeworkers by fixing separate general minimum piece-rates of wages for homeworkers engaged in making coarse shirts; And whereas, after considering the objections lodged with them, the said Trade Board gave notice on 14th July, 1917, that they had varied the minimum time-rates of wages for female workers and the general minimum piece-rates of wages for homeworkers in the said trade, and the rates as varied are set out in the Schedule hereto; Now, therefore, I, the Right Honourable George H. Roberts M.P., in pursuance of the powers in me vested, as before recited, do by this order make the said minimum time-rates for female workers and the said general minimum piece-rates for homeworkers, as varied by the said Trade Board and set out in the said Schedule hereto, obligatory in cases in which they are applicable on all persons employing labour and on all persons employed in the said trade. Dated this 15th day of January, 1918. Geo. H. Roberts, Minister of Labour. Schedule. MINIMUM RATES (AS FIXED OR AS VARIED) FOR THE SHIRT-MAKING TRADE IN IRELAND. The Trade Board established under the Trade Boards Act, 1909, and the Trade Boards Provisional Orders Confirmation Act, 1913, for the Shirt-Making trade in Ireland as defined in the Regulations made by the Board of Trade and dated 19th March, 1914, have fixed General Minimum Piece-Rates for the making of Coarse Shirts by Homeworkers the minimum rates as fixed being as shown in Part IIB of Appendix I of this Schedule set out below and held as incorporated herewith and that they have varied the (a) Printed St. R. & O., 1914, III, p. 292. minimum time-rates fixed by them on the 6th of December, 1915, set out in their Notice of that date and made obligatory by the Board of Trade on the 7th June, 1916, such variations being as shown in Appendix II of this Schedule set out below and held as incorporated herewith, the minimum time-rates as hereby varied. being as shown in Appendix I of this Schedule. APPENDIX I. Minimum Time-Rates for Female Workers. Section 1.-The minimum or lowest time-rates for female workers in those branches of trade in Ireland which are specified in the Trade Boards (Shirt-Making) Order, 1913 (that is to say, the making from Textile fabrics of shirts, pyjamas, aprons and other washable clothing worn by male persons, excluding articles the making of which is included in paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the Trade Boards Act, 1909, and excluding articles which are knitted or are made from knitted fabrics) but which are not engaged in the making of handkerchiefs, neckties, scarves, mufflers, gloves, socks, stockings, spats, gaiters, hats, caps (other than chef's caps and hospital ward caps), infants' millinery, baby linen and such articles of clothing as are made for children without distinction of sex, shall (subject to the provisions of this Schedule as to female learners) be as follows, clear of all deductions that is to say: For female workers ... ... Learners. 3ąd. an hour. Section 2.-(a) In lieu of the above rate female "learners (as hereinafter defined) shall, subject to the provisions of this Section, receive the following minimum or lowest time-rates clear of all deductions, that is to say: |