§ 93. Mr. WESTWOODasked the Secretary for Mines the number of men and boys employed below and above ground, respectively, in the months of January and February, 1926, and similar figures for 1927?
§ Colonel LANE FOXI will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT such information as is available.
§ Following is the information:
§ Total number of wage earners employed at end of
| 1926. | 1927. | ||
| January | … | 1,099,700 | 996,100 |
| February | … | 1,107,500 | 1,012,700 |
§ The weekly returns from which these figures are obtained do not distinguish the age or place of working of the persons employed. The only information which does so is that obtained from the Annual Returns, and for the last two years the proportions were as follow:
| December, | ||
| 1925. | 1926. | |
| Per cent. | Per cent. | |
| Above Ground | ||
| Men | 17.1 | 17.9 |
| Boys (under 16 years of age) | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Women and Girls | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Below Ground | ||
| Men | 77.8 | 77.9 |
| Boys (under 16 years of age) | 3.3 | 2.6 |