§ MR. BURTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If his attention has been called to an article in The North Eastern Daily Gazette of the 7th instant, in which it is stated that certain firms of ironstone mine owners in the Cleveland district have for several years past made deductions from the wages of the miners in their employment for medicine and medical attendance without the sanction of the workmen, the medical men being selected by the employers, and being in some cases very objectionable to the miners; whether, if the statements made in this 1691 article be correct, the mine owners are not committing a breach of the Truck Act, and rendering themselves liable to heavy penalties; and, whether he can take any steps to put a stop to the practice complained of?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT, in reply, said he had received a long Correspondence from the Inspector of Mines in this district, which stated the communications which that official had had with the miners on the subject. It would not be possible, within the limits of a reply to a Question, to state all the points, and the hon. Member would probably like to look at the Correspondence. In that case it was very likely that an arrangement of the points in dispute might be arrived at which would be satisfactory to all parties concerned.