§ Mr. RAMSBOTHAMasked the President of the Board of Trade if he can give any information as to the result of the 12 months' experiment in the change from four to eight looms in the Lancashire cotton trade; whether any reliable data in respect of saving costs have been obtained; what has been the effect on wages; and what has been the result of such similar work in the United States?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMI have no detailed information at present as to the results of the experiment mentioned, which ended on the 31st March. I understand that no agreement has been reached as to the rate of wages which should apply to the system, which has so far been worked only on an experimental basis in a few mills. As regards the last part of the question, I am not aware of any similar experiments in the United States, where the conditions are of course widely different from those prevailing in this country.