§ Mr. COLEFAXasked what was the average weekly amount of short time worked in the cotton industry during 1909 and during the first two months of the present year; and what proportion this bears to a full week's work in this industry?
Mr. BUXTONSince the first week in July, 1909, about 85,000 workpeople employed in spinning mills using American cotton have been working forty hours per week only, or fifteen and a half hours less than the usual time. This is equal to an average reduction of 10 per cent, when spread over the total number of workpeople in the cotton-spinning trade. There is no exact record of short time in the weaving branch of the cotton trade.
§ Mr. WATTCan the right hon. Gentleman state the percentage of increase in spindles in 1907 in the cotton trade?