The distribution of wage-workers by industries, sex, and wage groups is shown in the following table:

NUMBER OF MALE AND OF FEMALE WAGE-WORKERS FOR WHOM DAILY WAGES WERE ASCERTAINED, BY INDUSTRIES AND WAGE GROUPS.

The wages were lowest in the textile industries, mainly because of the large number of women employed, and highest in the manufacture of wood products. The average daily wage for all male workers was 1.67 francs ($0.322) per day; for the female workers it was 0.71 franc ($0.137), and for both sexes 1.38 francs ($0.266) per day. In the wood industry the average wage was 2.48 francs ($0.479), in metal manufacturing 2.16 francs ($0.417), and in the textile industry, 1.04 francs ($0.201).

Interesting data are presented in the following table, showing the wage distribution for five separate age groups for each sex.

NUMBER OF MALE AND OF FEMALE WAGE-WORKERS FOR WHOM DAILY WAGES WERE ASCERTAINED, BY WAGE AND AGE GROUPS.

For males below 16 years of age the usual range was between 0.50 franc ($0.097) and 1 franc ($0.193), 128 out of 160, or 80 per cent, of this age group receiving such wages. Of the male persons between 16 and 20 years of age, 63 per cent received from 0.80 franc ($0.154) to 1.50 francs ($0.29); and of the adults, 65 per cent received from 1 franc ($0.193) to 2 francs ($0.386). In the case of female employees, 89 per cent of the girls 12 years of age or less received 0.50 franc ($0.097) or less per day; of those from 13 to 15 years of age 69 per cent received from 0.30 franc ($0.058) to 0.80 franc ($0.154); of the young women 16 to 20 years of age, more than one-half received from 0.50 franc ($0.097) to 0.80 franc ($0.154) and 86 per cent received from 0.30 franc ($0.058) to 1 franc ($0.193); again, of the adult women 66 per cent received from 0.50 franc ($0.097) to 1 franc ($0.193).

In the next two tables the wage-workers are grouped according to hours of labor and age and hours of labor and sex, respectively:

NUMBER AND PER CENT OF WAGE-WORKERS EMPLOYED, BY HOURS OF LABOR AND AGE GROUPS

NUMBER AND PER CENT OF WAGE-WORKERS EMPLOYED, BY HOURS OF LABOR

Of the wage-workers enumerated, 3,827 persons, or 62.2 per cent, worked more than ten hours per day. Fifteen per cent worked more than twelve hours per day. For the female employees the hours are found to be longer, 86.8 per cent working over ten hours a day, while for the male employees the proportion working over ten hours per day is only 52.6 per cent. This is explained by the long hours of labor in the textile industry. The distribution of employees by age and hours of work shows decidedly longer hours for the younger age groups.

GREAT BRITAIN.

Sixth Report of Proceedings under the Conciliation (Trade Disputes) Act, 1896. 1905-1907. (Published by the Board of Trade.)

110 pp.

This is a report of the proceedings under the Conciliation Act, 1896, and covers a period of two years, from July 1, 1905, to June 30, 1907. During the period 51 cases were presented for settlement, of which 23 occurred in the last six months of the period (January to June, 1907). The total number of cases in which a stoppage of work occurred was 16.

In the table following is shown the number of cases dealt with and settled in each of the periods covered by the six reports since August,

1896:

CASES DEALT WITH AND SETTLED UNDER THE CONCILIATION (TRADE DISPUTES) ACT, 1896, FROM AUGUST, 1896, TO JUNE, 1907.

Of the 232 cases dealt with since August, 1896, in 140 cases the application for arbitration or conciliation was made by both parties to the dispute, in 60 cases by workmen, in 22 cases by employers, and in the remaining by arbitrators who had failed to agree, etc. The number of cases of joint application during the two years under review was 46, or 90 per cent of all the cases dealt with.

Of the 51 disputes dealt with during the two years covered by the report, 14 were in the building trades, 13 in the boot and shoe trade, 7 in the metal, engineering, and shipbuilding trades, 7 in the printing and allied trades, 4 in mining and quarrying, and 6 in other trades. During the period since the act came into operation, 82 cases have arisen in the building trades, 45 in the metal, engineering, and shipbuilding trades, 27 in mining and quarrying, 20 in the boot and shoe trade, 17 in transportation, 14 in the printing and allied trades, 11 in the textile trades, and 16 in other trades.

Among the cases settled during the period under review, 2 were of special importance the Nottingham lace trade dispute and the music hall dispute. Of the 13 cases in the boot and shoe industry, 4 had reference to applications made by the work people for a minimum wage to be fixed or for the raising of a minimum already in existence. The awards made fixed a minimum wage for lasters and

finishers in London, for clickers and pressmen in Kettering, and for all classes of adult male boot and shoe operatives in Anstey and Stafford. Some of the building trades cases were also of importance, deciding, as they did, the wages, hours, or conditions of employment of various classes of workmen in the building trades of London, Manchester, Glasgow, Birkenhead, Wakefield, and Coventry. Among the cases which occurred in the printing and publishing trades were those at London, Glasgow, Bolton, and Reading. The award in the Glasgow case fixed the pay of compositors employed on newspaper work, and that in the Bolton case the pay of printers' helpers.

Appendixes give tabular summary and detailed statement of each case presented to the board during the period covered by this report; text of awards and agreements made under the Conciliation Act during the same period; rules of conciliation boards and other agreements containing clauses which provide for reference of disputes to the Board of Trade, failing their settlement by other agencies, and a reproduction of the text of the Conciliation Act, 1896.

Report of the Departmental Committee Appointed to Consider Whether the Post-Office should Provide Facilities for Insurance under the Workmen's Compensation Acts. 1907. 170 pp.

This document consists of the report of a departmental committee which was appointed March 1, 1907, by the postmaster-general (1) To consider whether it is practicable, and, if practicable, whether it is desirable, for the post-office to provide facilities for the insurance of employers in respect to their liabilities under the Workmen's Compensation Acts, either generally or subject to limitations. (2) And further, to consider whether it is desirable that steps should be taker to encourage the use of the present life insurance system of the postoffice; and, if so, what steps.

The committee held 13 meetings, 10 of which were occupied in the taking of evidence, and 23 witnesses were examined. Evidence was given by officials from the post-office and home office, factory inspect ors, representatives of insurance companies, of agriculture, of the building, fishing, and coasting trades, and of the Women's Trades Union League, etc. In reply to questions embodied in circular letters there were reviewed the views of 66 chambers of agriculture and farmers' associations and of a number of miscellaneous industries The report of the committee was handed to the postmaster-genera on June 5, 1907.

It appeared from an estimate obtained by the Home Office that the number of workmen added by the act of 1906 to the classes already entitled to compensation for accidents incurred in the course of their employment was approximately 6,000,000. A considerable propor tion of these workmen, however, would be in the service of employers

fully cognizant of the advantages of insurance and of the facilities for effecting it, or strong enough to bear the risks themselves; so that, in considering to what extent the act might fail in its object through lack of knowledge or of facilities for insurance, the figure of 6,000,000 must be largely reduced. Yet, in the opinion of the committee, there would remain a considerable number of small employers so likely to be ignorant of their fresh responsibilities as to make it important to take special measures for giving the widest publicity to the provisions of the act before it came into operation. There was a general consensus of opinion among the witnesses that, whatever facilities were offered for insurance, there would always remain a number of small employers whom nothing short of a system of compulsion would induce to insure. It was obvious to the committee that the postoffice could do nothing to help this class, and that the necessity for post-office interference, if it existed at all, must lie among the small employers who were anxious to meet their liabilities, but experienced difficulty in obtaining insurance.

The committee were led, therefore, to inquire into the adequacy of the facilities for insurance existing, or likely to exist, throughout the country, both as regards cost to the insurer and geographical distribufion. Information as to the facilities for insurance were obtained from the large insurance companies, and the Association of Accident Companies delegated witnesses, who gave full and valuable evidence. The delegates of the companies gave a pledge that they would be prepared to undertake the insurance of every class of subject. The evidence of the companies and of the independent witnesses showed that there was keen competition among the companies for business, that the whole country was covered by the organization of the inurance offices, and that all classes were afforded the opportunity of eadily effecting insurance with offices of good standing.

The extensive facilities which already exist, and the uncertainty of the situation, appeared to the committee to constitute weighty reasons against any hasty action on the part of the Government. At the outset two difficulties would arise: (1) No scheme whatever involving the post-office as principal, or money-spending agent, could be set up ithout special legislation. (2) The act coming into force on July 1, 1907, the post-office could not possibly organize an effective department, requiring a fresh staff, before that date. These objections were ronsidered fatal to the immediate creation of a scheme of state insurAce against liability under the Workmen's Compensation Acts, and The committee was impressed by certain special difficulties which Fould beset a Government department, such as the post-office, in dealing with insurance of this character.

As an alternative, which it was contended would be free from some of the difficulties previously indicated and yet would afford valuable