12. Mr. DUNCANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any inquiry has so far been made into the dispute at present existing at the factories of Messrs. D. Gurteen and Sons, Haverhill, Suffolk; whether he is aware that the workpeople have offered to accept arbitration and that this offer has been refused by the firm; whether he is aware that this firm are Government contractors; and will he state what steps his Department proposes to take with a view to settling the difficulty?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe attention of the Department has been drawn to this dispute, and the Chief Industrial Commissioner is now in communication with the firm.