§ 57. Major NEWMANasked what salary or remuneration, if any, will be received by the secretary to the Licensing Commission on paper and paper-making materials?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe secretary to the Paper Commission will be remunerated at the rate customary for Royal Commissions, namely, £400 per annum.
§ 58. Major NEWMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that small or jobbing printers are at present left entirely without a representative on the newly appointed Licensing Commission; and whether, as they number nearly 9,000 firms in the United Kingdom, they can be granted a representative?
Mr. RUNCIMANI do not think that any increase in the membership of the Commission would serve any useful purpose. It is, as I have stated more than once in this House, intended to be expert in character rather than representative.
§ Mr. RAFFANAs the right hon. Gentleman does not realise that the printers are more hard hit than any other class in the community, will he keep his mind open to any representations that may be addressed to him on the subject?
Mr. RUNCIMANIf I find from experience that the interests of printers are being ignored or interfered with very largely by the Commission, of course it would be necessary to reconsider it. I would like to add that every interest tells me that it is affected most hardly by the restrictions.
§ Major NEWMANThese small printers are very anxious to have representation on the Commission.
Mr. RUNCIMANI quite understand that. So is a large number of other interests. But the Commission would work badly if it were too unwieldy.
§ Mr. PRINGLEAre not the manufacturers of paper bags very anxious to have representation?
§ Mr. RAFFANAre the interests of paper bag makers at all comparable with the interests of the printing trade?