27 JUNE 1914, Page 19

Recently, however, there has been some pause in this progress.

The workmen have themselves, he holds, rendered nugatory "our endeavours to meet their demands for higher wages." Loss of time he gives as a universal complaint, and points out that among the Cleveland miners, while wages have gone up thirty-five per cent., the time lost has increased more than My per cent. Sir Hugh Bell next deals with the other Sicle9f the question—the claims made upon the total produce of hulustry bylegialative enactments. We cannot find space to quote his figures, but he calculates that they represent a very serious tolj on every ton of pig-iron made. In 1899 the total of those amounts represented 6d. per ton. In 1913 it was 2s. 5d. per ton.