§ Mr. WARDLEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that although the clerks employed by the Metropolitan District Railway Company presented a memorial on 12th October, 1906, appealing for payment for Sunday duty on a basis similar to that in operation under other railway companies, this company has refused to meet the request of their clerks, and has not yet granted them an interview with the directors, although such an interview has been pressed for since the memorial was presented five years ago, and the public are frequently given to understand that railway board room doors are always open to staff deputations who wish to discuss their grievances with the directors; and whether he is arranging for this case to be dealt with by arbitration in accordance with Clause 4 in the terms of settlement of railway disputes signed at the offices of the Board of Trade on 19th August last?
Mr. BUXTONThe Board of Trade have received representations in this matter, and they understand from the railway company that the managing director has twice seen the clerks' representatives. As regards the latter part of the question, I may point cut that the settlement of the 19th August last applies only to companies that adopted the Railway Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme of 1907, of which the Metropolitan District Railway was not one.