§ Mr. WALTER ROCHasked the President of the Board of Trade, if he can give the total decrease in wages recorded by the Board of Trade for the year 1908, and the number of employees affected by such decrease.
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of Trade (Mr. Churchill)Subject to revision, and excluding changes affecting agricultural labourers and certain other classes for which statistics are not yet available, the total net amount of the changes computed from the date of each change to the end of the year, was a decrease of £1,012,112, and the number of employees affected by decreases was 465,036.
Sir GILBERT PARKERDo these figures apply only to skilled labour as represented by the trades unions, or do they cover unskilled labour as well?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI cannot say. They cover the whole area dealt with by the Board.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI think it is difficult to draw the line in these calculations; they cover the whole area. I have taken the figures from the ordinary sources.