§ Mr. CHIOZZA MONEYasked the President of the Board of Trade if he was aware that in the week in December of each of the years 1899 to 1909 inclusive, upon which the chief British railway companies reported the actual cash earnings of their servants, in four principal departments, to the Board of Trade, the average earnings, as distinguished from rates of pay, per week per man were stationary, at or about 25s., within a few pence; if, in the same period, the retail prices of food, as tested by a properly weighted index number, for London, rose in the period named by over 12 per cent.; and, if so, whether, seeing that the actual average, real or commodity, earnings of British railway servants fell considerably in 1899–1909, he would direct the attention of railway companies to these facts?
§ Mr. TENNANTI must refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the President of the Board of Trade on 23rd March to his previous question on the same subject, in which it is pointed out that the figures quoted cannot be used to compare the relative rise in rates of wages and retail prices.
§ Mr. CHIOZZA MONEYIs it denied that the real earnings of these men fell considerably in the period?
§ Mr. TENNANTI do not think it is denied; but the figures are not comparable.
§ Mr. CHIOZZA MONEYWill the hon. Gentleman explain why they are not comparable?
§ Mr. TENNANTThat would involve giving the reply to a question which the hon. Gentleman himself asked only a few days ago, and it would be wasting the time of Parliament to repeat it.
§ Mr. CHIOZZA MONEYIs it not a very serious matter that the earnings of a considerable number of men should fall in this way in a period of ten years?
§ Mr. JAMES HOPEHow is it that the food of the people costs 12 per cent. more under a Liberal than under a Conservative Government?