§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the blind ship-fender makers of the Sunderland and Durham County Blind Asylum have been locked out since October last in connection with a wages dispute; and whether, seeing that the Mayor of Sunderland has offered to act as arbitrator and bis offer been accepted by the men but refused by the governors of the asylum, he will use the powers conferred upon him by the Conciliation Act to have inquiries made and a Report presented on the facts of the case.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralPrimâ facie this does not seem 1235 to be a case for the application of the Conciliation Act, but I am making inquiries.