§ MR. MACDONALDasked the First Lord of the Treasury, If it be correct, as stated in several journals, there has been or there is about to be a Commission appointed to inquire into and report on the spread of technical knowledge among those engaged in many of the most important industries in several of the European States; whether, considering the interest the working classes of this country have in such a subject, before the Commission is complete, he will cause to be put on it, as Commissioners, persons from the ranks of the workmen, who enjoy their confidence, and who, at the same time, have a thorough practical knowledge in all the branches of manufacture—in the cotton trade; woollen ditto; the iron trade in all its forms; coal mining in its various modes; and any other branch of manufacture that may be of sufficient importance to be reported upon; and, whether, if the Government consent to make such appointments, it will cause the various trades to be communicated with directly, so that only really skilled men in the respective occupations or handicrafts may be engaged on it?
§ MR. MUNDELLA, in reply, said, it would be in the recollection of the House that about three months ago the hon. Member for Glasgow (Mr. Anderson) moved for the appointment of a Royal Commission to visit the Technical Schools of France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland, and to report to the House as to the advantages which the agriculture and industries of these countries derived from technical education. He (Mr. Mundella) then stated that he thought the information could be obtained without putting the country to the expense of a roving Commission throughout 1474 Europe, and that, by appealing to the public spirit of gentlemen connected with the large public industries of the country, those gentlemen would themselves undertake such a commission. He had since placed himself in communication with four gentlemen on this subject; two of them had already consented, at their own expense, to investigate the whole question. Those two Gentlemen were the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. B. Samuelson), who had rendered very important service in this question in 1867, and the senior Member for Manchester (Mr. Slagg), who was largely interested in the cotton industry. The other two gentlemen with whom he had been in communication had not yet given a final answer; but he believed he should, have a Commission which would obtain all the information that was required, and which would be all the stronger for being composed of unpaid Commissioners. With regard to the presence of working men on the Commission, his hon. Friend must be aware that there was no antagonism on this question. Both sides were equally interested in knowing what was being done, and the Report would be as public to the working men as to the employers. Moreover, they could not expect workmen to go at their own expense for two or three months visiting the technical schools on the Continent.
§ MR. MACDONALDasked whether, if the large working industries of the country were prepared to pay representatives to serve on the Commission, the right hon. Gentleman would allow such representatives a seat upon it?
§ MR. MUNDELLAsaid, that, under these circumstances, he would only be too happy to have Reports from those gentlemen, and have them embodied in the other Reports; and give the same facilities to the workmen as to their employers.
§ MR. DAWSONasked whether the Vice President of the Council would afford to Irish woollen manufacturers the opportunity of proceeding in the same manner as the manufacturers of England?
§ MR. MUNDELLAsaid, that any information as to the advantages of technical education on woollen manufactures would apply to Irish as well as to English manufactures. It did not really seem necessary to send a number of 1475 gentlemen more than was necessary to make that inquiry; but if any gentleman connected with the Irish woollen manufactures would offer himself, and was possessed of the necessary qualifications, the application would be considered.