§ Lord H. CAVENDISH - BENTINCKasked the Minister of Labour whether he has received a communication signed by the Nottingham Chamber of Commerce, the Nottingham Lace and Net Finishers' Association, and the Nottingham Home Workers' League, requesting him to promote legislation to empower the Lace Finishing Trade Board to fix minimum rates of remuneration for middle men and middle women; whether both sides of the Lace Finishing Trade Board, and the appointed members thereon, are unanimous in this question, and have expressed the opinion that the evil to the trade resulting from the under-payment of middle women would be largely mitigated by the legislation suggested; and whether, therefore, he will forthwith introduce a measure embodying the united wish of employers and workers in the trade?
§ Sir M. BARLOWThe answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the last part, the position of middle men and middle women in the lace trade is receiving our careful consideration. A proposal, however, to empower a Trade Board to fix not only minimum rates of wages for workers, but also minimum rates of commission or of other remuneration to persons who are not employés but independent contractors, raises a novel question of principle affecting this and other trades, and in these circumstances I am afraid I can hold out no hope of legislation on this matter being carried through during this Session.