The Great Inquiry

Mr. Gerald Balfour, who had followed the business side of the argument very closely, here asked what remedy Mr. Baines proposed for this state of things? Mr. Baines replied that there seemed to be but two courses to follow. The best way would be for the Government to pay him quarterly not less than 25s. for every ton of pig-iron he might manufacture. If, for party reasons, it was impossible to grant him such a sum, the second course would be to impose a duty on all other iron which would raise his, Mr. Baines', iron by a similar amount. Asked by Mr. Chamberlain whether it was his opinion that the wages of his hands would rise under such a system, Mr. Baines looked a trifle puzzled, and confessed that he did not understand the drift of the question. Mr. Chamberlain (smiling pleasantly): "I will put my question in another form. Would you offer your employés a portion of the profit so acquired?" Mr. Baines (bewildered): "Why should I?" The Postmaster-General: "Let me tackle him, father...." (To Mr. Baines): "I take it all your men have a vote?" Mr. Baines: "Yes, all except Ben Gailey, who did time for ghurling." The Postmaster-General (hurriedly): "That's all right. Well, now, the question is this: if we give you £1 down for every ton of pig iron you shove on the market, and we make it a condition that you pay at least 5s.of it in extra wages, will you clinch?" Mr. Baines: "Like a nut!" The witness, who was complimented by Lord Lansdowne on the manly and straightforward way in which he had given his evidence, then stood down. Mr. Harry Gibbs, farmer of Goudhurst, questioned upon Hops, said that W'ops were in a turrible bad way, and all. He knew his own mind. He was a practical man. He said: "Let the Government prohibit all foreign W'ops, Sussex and all, and let brewers have a law, and let 'un buy Kentish W'ops. There was old Sir Charles Gorle, there was, member of Parliament and all, and he knew for certain as that old man in his brewery never bought none but Sussex, and he'd have a law...."

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