§ Mr. SNOWDENasked if the officials of the Labour Exchanges took any steps to induce the registrars to employ as Census enumerators suitable unemployed men who were registered on the books of the exchanges; and if any such persons were actually found employment in connection with Census work?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Buxton)The services of the Labour Exchanges were offered at an early stage in connection with the engagement of Census enumerators, and I understand that some unemployed persons were engaged as enumerators through the medium of the exchanges.
§ Mr. SNOWDENIs the right hon. Gentleman unable to give any figures as to the number of persons engaged through the medium of the exchanges?
§ Mr. BUXTONPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will give me notice of that question.
§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the President of the Local Government Board if he issued any instructions to the local officials who had the appointment of the Census enumerators that they should, as far as possible, use the Labour Exchanges for that purpose; and will he give the reason why schoolmasters, clerks, shopkeepers, and others in full employment were given this work, while qualified men out of work, registered at the Labour Exchanges, were ignored?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)I may refer the hon. Member generally to the reply I gave on 13th February last to the hon. Member for West Leeds. I may add that one difficulty in the way of engaging unemployed men from the Labour Exchanges, as suggested in the question, lay in the fact that the enumerators had to be engaged some weeks before the Census Day. A man looking for work in February might not always be in a position to pledge himself to accept a job of only two or three days' duration at a particular 859 date in April, and it was essential that there should be no risk of the selected men not being available when the Census had to be taken.