§ MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)asked the President of the Board of Trade, If he can inform the House how many strikes there have been in the United Kingdom during the past 12 months; what was their average duration; and, in how many were the workmen successful in their contention? Also, If the right hon. Gentleman's attention has been called to the Report of Mr. Consul General Lane Booker, in the current number of The Board of Trade Journal on The Condition of Labour in the Stale of New York, and particularly to the statement—
That the counsel and advice of the State Board of Arbitration has been sought in many instances by both employer and employed, and, with few exceptions, settlements have been made without resort to strike or lock out;and, having regard to the advantage to the national prosperity of such a system, he will re-consider during the Recess the suggestion recently made for the establishment of a similar Board in this country?
§ THE PRESIDENT (Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH) (Bristol, W.), in reply, said, the Board of Trade have been unable, as yet, to obtain a satisfactory record of strikes in 1887. Circulars were sent to all the Trades Unions throughout the country early in the present year, but only 48 were returned, comprising a record of 26 strikes only. The Board of Trade have information of 45 other strikes, and there must have been many more. An attempt is now being made to keep a record of strikes as they occur, as well as to complete the information for last year as far as possible; but it is extremely difficult to obtain anything like a complete record. Out of the 26 returned by Trades Unions, 10 were returned as successful, I partially successful, and 15 unsuccessful. I hope to make this one of the subjects 321 of the Special Annual Report to be issued by the Board of Trade.