A MINISTER OF LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 115, 7 February 1908, Page 7

A MINISTER OF LABOUR

———$ — BRITISH PORTFOLIOS.., bi v TELEQBirs—puesß assooiation—corinianT, f [Uondorij.Tqbniary 5. - A.t,tho instance of-tho Labour party,; Mr., Barnes (Labour) moved*in the-Houso mons that the status of Ministerial portfolios remain unaltered -until- it—has-bccn—ascer-tamed how far tlio..dutiei..now-assigned-to-tho Home, Board of .Trade, and Local Government •DopartmentsTiff relation" to Habourcould bo grouped undor the control of a Min-> ister for Labour. STATUS OF THE BOARD OF TRADE. The Board of Trade'is-really the President (a Cabfncit. Minister, changing with each' Government), assisted-by-ft-Pttrlia-mcutary and a: Permanent Under-Secretary'. There, is 'nominally a Committee, "but'it' is ,never called-'to-gether,; and. exercises' n6"'c!>'f[trol overi the various' departments" comprised. in' ; the Boardof Trade. There warily debate ;n v 'tlio House of Commons .last : session_onVt.hc ./status "of. the Board of Trade. Sir pointed 1 out that Britain has 116''Minister tjf Public;' Works, but tlie President oßKo'Bba'rd 1 of Trade may act as-ono if ho chooses. .... Mr. Wardle called- attention to the returns of accidents on railways! "The staff of the Board of Trade for.' dealing 'with' railway inspection • was, ho . said, . wholly. ■ inadequate, With only ton inspectors, it" was obviously impossible to have tlie work properly carried out, and ho contrasted" that' with 205 Homo Office inspectors for factories and mines Mr. Field urged r that there should '' be'a Minister for Public -Works, a Minister of' Commerce, and a Minister ; of Railways. Tho President of the Board :of : Trade had no cumulative committee. He j lmd only tho assistance of permanent and oF honorary gentlemen who never mot. It was extraordinary that in a commercial countiyliKoTlngland thev should havo a Board of that was practically - ■' In rcpljN Mr- .Lloyd-George; President of the Board of, Trade, said that; two'-or thVee'sug"cstions had, been made, during tho debate that the number of inspectors. (should be • increased lie did not want, unnecessarily to_increase 'thi number ,of could really be nrovfed that ani'increase in the number would materially reduce the. loss of human lifo ho would be quit4JWillirig to look into tho matter. Ho must fiijiihe thought tho Board of Trade,, inspectorataTta/-understaffed.