§ MR. BURNIE (Swansea, Town)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been drawn to the hours signalmen, gatemen, and trainmen have to be on duty on the Penzance and Cornwall mineral section of the Cornwall Railway; if he is aware that signalmen come on about 6 a.m. and leave about 12 midnight, excepting between 12.30 p.m. and 5 p.m., when they are relieved; that gatemen come on duty about 6 a.m., and remain on continuous duty until 11 and 12 midnight, four nights per week; that trainmen are kept out 14 and 15 hours, and sometimes over; if so, what steps can be taken to secure a diminution of the hours of labour; and do the Schedules sent in to the Board of Trade by the Railway Company show the system of working, or only the number of hours actually at the post?
§ MR. MUNDELLAThe Board of Trade have recently received representa- 484 tions with reference to the hours worked by the signalmen and goods guards employed on the Penzance division and on the Cornwall mineral section of the Great Western Railway, and are communicating with the Company thereon. If a like representation is made by or on behalf of the gatemen on these lines the Board will include them in the application for Returns. The Schedules, as far as practicable, show the system of working.