HC Deb 25 February 1908 vol 184 cc1568-70
MR. J. DEVLIN (Belfast, W.)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the average number of men, women, and children employed in mills and factories connected with the linen trade in Belfast during the period 1898–1907, inclusive, the average wages earned by them, and the number of hours worked by them per day respectively; and the number of men, women, and children employed during the months of December, 1907 and January, 1908, the hours worked by them per day, and the average wages earned by them respectively.

Number of Persons Employed in Mills and Factories connected with the Linen Trade in Belfast in 1901 and 1904.
(Compiled from the Returns made to the Homo Office.)
— 1901. 1904.
Persons above 18 years of age:
Males 4,842 4,755
Females 16,074 16,682
Young persons between 13 and 18 employed as Full-timers:
Males 1,647 1,600
Females 3,523 3,572
Children employed as Half-timers:
Males 872 682
Females 1,719 1,269
Total all Ages:—
Males 7,367 7,037
Females 21,316 21,523
Grand Total 28,683 28,560

Average Earnings per week in 1905, 1906 and 1907, and Earnings for one week in December, 1907, and one week in January, 1908, of Workpeople employed in Linen Factories in Belfast District.

s. d.
1905 11 3.3
1906 11 8.2
1907 12 4.3
One week in December, 1907 11 4.7
One week in January, 1908 10 6.4
MR. LLOYD-GEORGE

I am unable to give all the particulars asked for by the hon. Member, but I will give such information as is available respecting numbers employed and average earnings of the people employed in linen industry in Belfast. It is as follows—

These figures are obtained by averaging the wages earned by about 16,000 operatives, including men and women, also lads and girls (half-timers and full-timers). The figures for 1905, 1906, 1907, are the mean for twelve weeks, i.e., one week in each month. In both the months of December, 1907, and January, 1908, there appears to have been a good deal of short time in Belfast.