§ 46. Major KELLEYasked the Prime Minister whether, seeing that the first revision of miners' wages comes into operation at the end of December, it is possible in the interest of industrial peace that the National Wages Board should come into force at the same date?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIt is part of the proposed terms of settlement that the scheme for the regulation of wages to be prepared by the owners and men shall be submitted at the earliest possible moment, but the task before the Joint Conference is a very difficult one, and I am afraid that it is hardly possible that they will be able to complete it by the end of the year.
§ Major KELLEYSeeing, so far as we can judge from the morning paper, that the vote is anything but decisive, is it not urgently necessary that the Board should be set up in December, when wages have to be revised, if possible?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe Board will be set up without a moment's delay, and both the mine owners and the men realised the importance of it at the time when the report was discussed, and both of them can be certain that there will be no unnecessary delay.
§ Major KELLEYSix months is a very long time for business men to wait before coming to a conclusion.
§ Mr. BONAR LAWBut no one knows better than my hon. and gallant Friend how complicated it is. We have to deal not only with the general system but with individual cases, and it cannot be done except after a considerable amount of time has elapsed.