§ MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)asked the Secretary to the Board of Trade, Whether he will communicate to the House, or lay upon the Table, the Minute establishing the Bureau of Labour Statistics and showing the duties of the Labour Correspondent?
§ THE SECRETARY (Baron HENRY DE WORMS) (Liverpool, East Toxteth)There is no such special Minute as that referred to by the hon. Member; but I find that on Mr. Burnett's appointment the then President of the Board of Trade decided that any inquiries that would have to be made of Trade Unions, Trade Societies, or from the labouring classes, either individually or collectively, should 1524 be conducted by the Labour Correspondent; and that, in addition, he should be consulted with regard to the Forms and Schedules which were to be sent out to the representatives of all manufactures, with a view to obtaining minute and accurate information relative to the economic condition of the working classes. As regards the arrangements made by the Board of Trade for collecting and publishing statistics relative to labour, a Memorandum was prepared and presented to the House of Commons last Session.