§ 64. Mr. PETOasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Board of Trade sent out forms of inquiry in March last to those who supplied the Board with the information published in the Report on Earnings and Hours of Labour in 1907, Part V., Agriculture; whether such forms deal only with cash wages paid to ordinary agricultural labourers, and omit all reference to the cash value of other earnings, allowances for overtime, piece-work earnings, value of cottages, etc., and to other classes of persons employed in agriculture; whether some farmers have refused to fill in the forms in consequence of the misleading nature of the information asked for; why such partial information, lacking in essential details, was asked for; and whether he will at once take steps to have the Report of 1907 brought up to date by issuing a fresh full form of inquiry and publishing the result?
Mr. BUXTONThe inquiries sent out last March were annual inquiries intended principally to ascertain changes in cash rates of wages. I am well aware of the extra earnings and the allowances in kind of farm labourers, and when the elaborate inquiry made in 1907 is repeated full attention will again be given to such additions to the nominal cash rates. If the hon. Member will call at the Board of Trade, the various ways in which agricultural wages and earnings are ascertained will be fully explained to him.
§ Mr. PETOIn view of the great interest taken in this question in all parts of the House, does not the right hon. Gentleman see the advisability of bringing the complete and entire statistics for agricultural wages up to a more recent date than 1907?