§ Mr. JOHNSTONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to give the date upon which the British-owned mills in Shanghai voluntarily adopted the regulations proposed by the Child Labour Commission of the Shanghai Council?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI understand that the position is as follows. For some time before the Report of the Child Labour Commission appointed by the Shanghai Municipal Council appeared, the British millowners had already adopted the policy of excluding from their mills boys under 10 and girls under 12. I do not know the precise date as from which they initiated this policy, but the information has been asked for by telegraph. When the Report of the Commission appeared the British owners publicly declared themselves to be in favour of the recommendations of the Commission, and I understand that they then took such steps as were in their power to give effect to those recommendations in their own mills, independently of any action taken by Chinese or other millowners. On this point, again, further information is being obtained.