§ 38. Mr. ELLIS DAVIESasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give an estimate of the increase per cent, in the wages of manual workers since the beginning of the War, whether such increase be due to overtime or otherwise?
Mr. RUNCIMANIn the next issue of the "Board of Trade Labour Gazette" it is proposed to bring together the available information showing the amount of the rise in rates of wages in the several trades. This, however, will not include the effect on earnings of the comparatively improved employment and of the large amount of overtime, to which I think that my hon. Friend's question is really directed. I regret that without a large expenditure of money, which in the circumstances of to-day would not be justified, it is not possible to show the total or percentage increase in the actual earnings of workpeople since the War.