§ Mr. PETOasked the President of the Board of Trade the number of requests for information as to the hours worked in the printing trade sent out to employers in the London district; the percentage, of returns received by the Board of Trade; the percentage of firms making returns who are working their hand compositors on book or jobbing work, letterpress machine minders, male printers' assistants and warehousemen (exclusive of binders), fifty hours per week in the London district; the total number of the above classes of men on the returns sent in; and what percentage of such total number were working fifty hours?
Mr. ROBERTSONApplication for information was made to all firms, large or small, in the London district, known to the Department. The total number of requests for information issued by the Board of Trade was 3,170. This number, however, included in many cases more than one address of the same firm, and a number of firms which were found to be nonexistent. The number of returns received giving statistical information was 1,447. The firms covered by these returns employed, in July, 1912, 61,532 male and female workpeople. In this number there-were included: 8,221 hand compositors on book or jobbing work; 4,832 letterpress machine minders; 5,334 printers' assistants; 3,537 warehousemen (other than those employed by firms engaged in bookbinding and not in printing). This makes a total of 21,924 of these classes of male workmen, of whom 54.8 per cent., 55.5 per cent., 66.7 per cent., and 63.1 per cent., respectively, were working fifty hours or less. Of the total number in these classes, 59.2 per cent., were working fifty hours or less at July, 1912. These percentages are, of course, based on returns from all classes 521W of employers, irrespective of whether or not they complied with the standard laid down in the Fair-Wages Resolution.