§ MR. SAMUEL SMITH (Flintshire)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether any action has yet been taken on the Report of the Commission appointed to inquire into the grievances of the factory workers in Bombay; whether he is aware that the average time worked in the Indian cotton mills is 80 hours per week, as against 56 hours in Lancashire, and that great indignation exists among the Lancashire operatives at the competition to which they are exposed by labour working 80 hours per week in one part of the Empire while they are restricted by law to 56 hours; whether he is aware that, on 24th October last year, a petition was sent to the Indian Government by the Bombay factory workers asking for a reduction of their excessive hours of labour, and that in the future they claim that all mill hands be allowed one day's rest on Sunday, and that half an hour's rest be allowed them at noon; that all mills should commence work at 6.30 a.m., and cease working at sunset; and that compensation should be afforded for accidents; whether he is aware that very young children are employed 80 hours per week, to the extreme detriment of their health; whether he is aware that one mill manager writes— 1321
That he had seen children so small, working 80 hours per week, that he had taken them up in his arms, put them in the scales, and found them to weigh from 42 to 45 pounds only,and that factory managers in Bombay who have had experience of slavery in South America say that such slavery is mild compared with that which exists in the factory system of Bombay; and whether the Government will undertake that the recommendations of the Factory Commission shall promptly be carried out?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Sir J. GORST, Chatham)My answer to the first paragraph of the hon. Member's question is in the affirmative. A Bill on the lines stated last Session in Parliamentary Paper 162 was introduced into the Indian Legislature on the 31st of January last. My answer to the second paragraph of the question is that the hours of labour of adult males in India are as unrestricted as they are in Lancashire. My answer to the third paragraph is that such a petition may have been received by the Government of India, who would give it every consideration, but it has not been forwarded to the Secretary of State. My answer to the fourth paragraph of the hon. Member's question is that according to the existing law no child can be employed in Indian factories for more than 54 hours a week, and the Secretary of State cannot understand how such a case as that described in paragraph 5 can have occurred. But if the hon. Member will furnish his authority the Secretary of State will cause inquiry to be made. In regard to the last paragraph of the question the Bill for commending the Indian Factory Act in the sense I have indicated is now before the Indian Legislature.
§ MR. S. SMITHMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is aware that the Bill now before the Government of India raises the ages of children entering mills from 7 to 9 years, and allows them to work 11 hours a day, from 9 to 12, while in Lancashire they only work 5 J hours a day?
§ SIR J. GORSTI am afraid that I cannot answer any question as to the contents of the Bill in question without notice. The hon. Member had better put a notice down on the Paper.
§ MR. C. GRAHAM (Lanark, N. W.)Do I understand the right hon. Gentleman to say that no restriction in regard to the hours of labour exists in India? Is it in his power to advise the Indian Government to introduce some law whereby Her Majesty's subjects in different parts of the Empire shall not be reduced to slavery?
§ SIR J. GORSTI must ask the hon. Gentleman to give me notice of that question.