§ Mr. ARBUTHNOTasked the President of the Board of Trade if he could state the prevailing wages paid to cotton operatives, male and female, in Japan; and if he would state the numbers of men and women, respectively, employed in the Japanese cotton industry?
Mr. BUXTONAccording to the Twenty-Fifth Statistical Report of the Department of Agriculture and Commerce of Japan, the total number of cotton operatives employed in that country in 1908 was 134,365, namely, 18,782 males and 115,583 females. The only class of cotton operatives whose wages can be stated are spinners. The average wages of male spinners in 1908 were 10¾d. per day and of female spinners 6½d.