§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, in view of the condition of destitution in which the chain and nail-makers of Cradley Heath are, as represented by the Report of Mr. Burnett, any arrangement can be made by which their case may be examined into by the Lords' Committee on the Sweating System before their Lordships adjourn for the Christmas holidays?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)I have been in communication with the Lords' Committee, and am informed by them that it is certainly their intention to inquire into this matter; but there is no 844 chance of their being able to do so before Christmas.
§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he will propose a Supplementary Estimate before the close of the present Session to assist by loan, or otherwise relieve, the immediate necessities of the Cradley Heath workers?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)It is obviously impossible for the Government to proceed by the method indicated by the hon. Member for the relief of persons for whom great sympathy must be felt, but who are suffering from their adherence to a system which is perishing in the face of economic changes in the industry of nail and chain making. The Government, as my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has stated, are giving their serious consideration to Mr. Burnett's Report, which does not contain any suggestion of the kind indicated.
§ MR. BROOKE ROBINSON (Dudley)asked to be permitted to refer to the unpleasant incident which occurred on Saturday on the subject of the Cradley Heath chain makers. The whole of the chain makers, and a very considerable portion of the nailers, were among those whom he represented, and it was entirely at his instigation and request that a Report on their condition was made by Mr. Burnett, the Labour Correspondent of the Board of Trade. Unfortunately he was not in his place when the hon. Member for North-West Lanarkshire (Mr. Cunninghame Graham) on Thursday referred to the subject; and as no communication was made to him on the subject, he was ignorant as to what had taken place until he saw it reported in the papers, although he casually heard on Thursday that the hon. Member had put a Notice on the Paper. He ventured to think that the matter would have been better in his care than in that of the hon. Member for North-West Lanarkshire. ["Oh, oh!"] He wished to speak with all courtesy of the hon. Member. He had not the slightest doubt that he was animated by the best intentions; but he honestly and sincerely believed that the hon. Member had no practical knowledge of the subject, and that his interference was more likely to tend to the 845 detriment of the men than otherwise. That was his reason for putting the Notice on the Paper.