§ Commander BELLAIRSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give comparative figures for wages per hour, British and Japanese, in the engineering trades in 1914 and the latest available figures, using as a basis for comparison the figures supplied by the British from Tokio and published in the "Labour Gazette," July, 1919, on page 277; and whether he can arrange for a series of official comparisons in some of our threatened industries, such as the cotton trade, being published in the "Labour Gazette" or some other suitable medium?
§ Sir R. HORNEI have been asked to reply to this question. The following table shows the approximate hourly rates of wages (inclusive of bonuses, etc.) of men on time rates in certain occupations in the engineering trade in London at December, 1914, and December, 1918, respectively. The figures given in the July "Labour Gazette" relating to the average rates paid to men in corresponding occupations in an engineering works at Yokohama are added for purposes of comparison: