§ MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)asked the Secretary to the Board of Trade, Whether the Northumberland and Durham Miners' Unions have a permanent relief fund, which has been in existence 25 years, with copious annually published Reports; whether the last published Report shows 88,000 members, with invested assets £120,303, and an annual income of £55,053; and, whether the Northumberland Miners' Association, the Durhum Miners' Association, and their joint Permanent Relief Fund, are included in the 18 Trade 487 Unions, of which Tables are given in the Paper on Labour Statistics, recently issued by the Board of Trade; and, if not, why the easily obtainable details of these societies, and other large Miners' Unions, are omitted?
§ THE SECRETARY (Baron HENRY DE WORMS) (Liverpool, East Toxteth)The Northumberland and Durham miners have a permanent relief fund, but it is not a Trade Union, and could, therefore, not be included in a Report on Trades Unions. The Miners' Associations of Durham and Northumberland were applied to for Returns, in common with all the Miners' Associations of the country, but have as yet failed to supply them. The Board of Trade are, therefore, unable to state what are the numbers and financial condition of these Bodies.