27 MAY 1871, Page 3

The Truck Commissioners have presented their report, and affirm that

147,000 persons are employed by firms who keep shops and insist in one way or another that their men shall deal at them, and who, as a rule, cheat the men in the price of the goods. Some employers do not, however, compel their men to spend their wages at their shops, but pay them at long intervals, and only make advances in goods. The Commissioners recommend that the payment of wages weekly within a certain per-centage should be made compulsory, that the first offence under the Truck Act should be made punishable with a fine of £50, that deprivation of civil rights should be added, and that a thorough system of independent inspection should be estab- lished. All that is very sound, if the men are to be treated as children, but it strikes us that the Trades' Unions could interfere much more effectually than Parliament. Suppose they make it a rule that men who serve a " trucking " firm shall receive double wages. Their irregular power would then be exerted for once for good.