§ 10. Mr. REMERasked the President of the Board of Trade what are the wages paid to silk operatives in Japan on the silk manufactured goods at present being imported into this country, and the number of hours worked per day; and whether he will make representations to the Foreign Office that the treaty with Japan should be revised unless the Japanese employers pay their workmen on the same basis as British employers?
§ Sir A. GEDDESI understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour that no authoritative data are available as to the wages paid and hours worked at the present time in Japanese silk mills. With regard to the second part of the question, I would remind the hon. Member that under the treaty we obtained a number of tariff concessions for British goods entering Japan, and that the undertaking to admit certain Japanese goods free of duty was given in compensation for those concessions.
§ Mr. REMERI beg to give notice, in view of the reply, that I will refer to this question on the Adjournment to night.