§ 27. Mr. CAPEasked the Secretary for Mines whether he has obtained, since the Report of the Samuel Coal Commission, any information as to the system of family allowances in the mining industry in other countries?
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Colonel Lane Fox)No, Sir. I have plenty of information on the subject and have had no occasion to make further inquiries. Obviously, this is not a matter in which 968 the Government could take any action unless both sides of the industry wished to adopt the system and asked for the assistance of the Government. At present I understand that the miners are adverse to the system except on the impossible basis that the allowances are paid by the taxpayer.