§ Mr. ROWNTREEasked the President of the Board of Trade where the latest Return of the wages paid by railway companies to their men is to be found; what is the date of this Return; and whether, in view of the questions raised by the Railways (No. 2) Bill, he will give a Return showing the result of the increases made by railway companies since they undertook to accept the findings of the recent Royal Commission, giving in the case of each company details of the number and grade of men who have received increased wages, and the annual sum of money required to pay such increases?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe latest detailed information respecting the wages paid in the railway service relates to the year 1907 and is contained in Volume VII. of the Report on the Earnings and Hours of Labour of Workpeople issued at the beginning of the present year. The average earnings per head in a selected week in the four principal departments are given in the recently published Report on Changes in Rates of Wages and Hours of Labour in 1911. A Return is in preparation, in pursuance of an Order of the House of the 28th June last, showing the number of men employed and the amount of wages paid by the several companies in various specified departments during each of four selected weeks in 1911, and a similar Return will be moved for next Session for corresponding weeks in 1912. Thereafter a Return will be moved for annually showing the average weekly number of men employed and wages paid. I may perhaps point out that under the Railways (No. 2) Bill, if an increase of rate is challenged the railway company will have to prove to the satisfaction of the Railway and Canal Commission that, amongst other things, there has been a rise in the cost of working the railway resulting from improvements in labour conditions made since August, 1911.