§ MR. DALZIEL (Kirkcaldy, &c.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade in how many cases action has been taken under the powers conferred upon the Board by the Railway Servants (Hours of Labour) Act; and in how many cases has such action resulted in the reduction of the number of hours worked by railway servants?
§ MR. MUNDELLAThe Circular of the Board of Trade was issued on the 1698 19th of September, and replied to by Sir H. Oakley on behalf of the Railway Association on the 11th of this month; the inquiry of my hon. Friend is, therefore, somewhat premature. The Board are dealing with all the cases in which representations of excessive hours have been made to them; but the negotiations with the Railway Companies are not complete. I hope that in many cases the companies will deal satisfactorily with complaints without compelling a resort on the part of the Board to the ultimate powers of the Act.
§ MR. DALZIELWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of calling upon the different Railway Companies to forward Schedules of the present working hours?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI think that would be too much to call upon the companies to do. But whenever we have a complaint we ask for and are supplied with those Schedules showing the hours upon that particular part of the line. No doubt the Act will be brought into practical operation.