104. Mr. F. HALLasked the President of the Board of Trade the amount of wheat imported from Russia in 1912 and the wages of agricultural labourers in that country, and the amount raised in England in the same period and the average wages paid?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe quantity of wheat imported into the United Kingdom in 1912 from Russia was 2,101,423 imperial quarters, which compares with an estimated yield of 7,175,416 quarters in this country. Inclusive of the estimated value of allowances the average weekly earnings of all classes of men employed as agricultural labourers in England in 1907 was 18s. 4d., in Wales 18s., in Scotland 19s. 7d., and in Ireland 11s. 3d. Since that date there has been some slight increase in cash rates. I am unable to give comparable averages for the whole of Russia, but some information as to the wages of agricultural labourers in that country will be found on pages 22–25 of the fourth Abstract of Foreign Labour Statistics (Cd. 5415).
Mr. F. HALLIs it not a fact that the average wage of agricultural labourers in Russia where this wheat is imported from, in the ordinary way is about 3s. per week?
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEWhere these low wages are paid, is it a Protectionist country?