§ MR. WHITMORE (Chelsea)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will lay upon the Table of the House Returns showing the average wages received by miners working in the principal coal districts of England in the six months anterior to the commencement of the coal strike, and also the average number of days worked by the miners in each week in the same districts during the same period?
§ MR. MUNDELLAThe information asked for is not in the possession of the Board of Trade in the exact form indicated in the question, and it would take at least six months to compile and publish such a statement as is desired. In the Board of Trade Report of 1891, C.6455, complete information was given with regard to wages in mines in different districts in 1886. By adding the percentage rise which has taken place since that date in various districts, an approximate idea may be obtained of the current rates of wages for the present year. The irregularity of work in different trades is occupying the attention of the Labour 219 Department, and the number of days worked weekly in mines will receive special attention in the course of the inquiry.
§ MR. WHITMOREMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it would not be possible to make use of the newly-appointed Labour Correspondents for the purpose of obtaining information, which it is obviously most desirable the House and the country should have from the most authentic source?
§ MR. MUNDELLAWe are making use of the Labour Correspondents, and they are fully occupied, indeed, with this and cognate subjects. To give the average wage received by the miners in the principal coal districts is by no means an easy task, and one that must occupy a very considerable time. We might take some representative mines if both sides would be willing to accept the investigation as a fair test of what is the average.
§ MR. WHITMOREWill the right hon. Gentleman attempt to carry out the idea, and, with the consent of the Mine-owners' and the Miners' Federation, obtain through the Labour Correspondents the figures with regard to wages and hours in certain test mines?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI have no objection to appeal to the Chairmen of both Federations to come to an agreement on that matter. As the hon. Member knows, statements on the subject have been made from time to time. One appears in The Times to-day, which purports to be a fair representation of the average earnings in three districts of England, published by the Owners' Federation. Whether the Miners' Federation will accept that as a fair statement or not I cannot tell, but I will ask.
§ MR. WOODS (Lancashire, Ince)If the right hon. Gentleman undertakes the duty of inquiring into the average rate of wages, will he at the same time inquire into the average profits and dividends earned by the collieries and mine-owners?
§ [The question was not answered.]