§ MR. BAUMANN (Camberwell, Peckham)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the fact that a large number of tramway employés, estimated at a thousand, are at present out of work, with licenses in their pockets, he will consider the propriety of restricting the issue of licenses by the Scotland Yard Authorities, and will give instructions accordingly?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI regret extremely the condition of things brought about by recent disputes between tramcar employers and their men; but it would not be lawful or justifiable for the police to intervene in these disputes by arbitrarily restricting the number of licenses issued. As I understand the law on the subject, any person of the prescribed age who produces evidence of good behaviour and fitness and pays the fee is entitled to a license as a qualification for obtaining work; and the police would exceed their powers if they refused to give a license to a qualified person.