When I was a member of the Association of Engineering and Shipuilding Draughtsmen, we obtained the rates paid by our largest local engineering concern in 1939, the year war broke out. Storemen and labourers £1/10/- per week, semi skilled £2 per week, skilled rate £3 per week, Toolroom £3/10/-, Senior draughtsman at 28 years of age with ONC £5 per week. During the war with war bonus and productivity payments, skilled men were coming out with £10 per week, quite a fortune in those days around here. From that time on, white collar technician wages locally were eroded in comparison with skilled shop floor rates which tended to outstrip them. When I was called up for National Service in 1953 my civvy pay was £3/10/- weekly, not bad at all. My first week in the army, we were paid 28 shillings but with reductions, we actually drew one pound! However, yours truly who had been caught out paying not enough income tax, in civvy, was only allowed fifteen bob until my tax had caught up! As if it was my fault?