§ SIR C. DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, with reference to Command Paper 8579 of 1897, Mercantile Marine (Seamen Employed), he will have the tables relating to sailors and boys and Table II. brought up to 25th March 1898?
THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD or TRADEWe have communicated with the Registrar-General of Seamen. He says that to take out a census for 25th March 1898 would involve much time and labour, and would not be ready till some time next year. The agreements have all been put away. He had contemplated a similar return for 1901, the general census year, and does not think that an interval of two years would give sufficient additional information to justify the labour.