§ Viscount WOLMERasked what are the names of the Commissioners who drew up Cd. 5609, and when their investigations, which are stated in the Prefatory Note to have commenced in February, 1909, terminated; and what was the total cost of the investigation?
Mr. BUXTONThe report referred to was drawn up by the Board of Trade, and not by Commissioners. The investigation180W in America terminated at the end of December, 1909, but some returns were received at the Board of Trade at various dates throughout 1910, and a few as late as February and March of 1911. The total cost directly chargeable to this inquiry, exclusive of the expenditure on printing, but inclusive of temporary clerical assistance at the Board of Trade, was £6,956.
§ Mr. HOUSTONasked the President of the Board of Trade the date on which he received the last portion of the report from America dealing with the cost of living in American towns; the date on which the prefatory note was written, not printed; the date the report was ready in manuscript; the date the report could have been handed to the printers; and why this report was not more expeditiously published, in view of the General Election in December, 1910?
Mr. BUXTONThe report was prepared at the Board of Trade from material collected in America, and the process of collecting the material in that country was completed by December, 1909. The manuscript of the report was completed on 9th December, 1910; and the first rough draft of the prefatory note was written on 14th December, 1910. Each section of the work was sent to the printers as soon as it was completed, the proofs were sent for revision on 21st March, 1911, and the report was issued on 12th April, 1911. Having regard to the size of the book (625 pages), the difficulties of the subject matter and the necessity for careful revision, it was impossible to issue it earlier.