asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the total quantity of (a) creamery butter, (b) factory butter, and (c) other dairy products produced in the year 1933, and their net selling value; the gross total of the value of the net output, the number of persons engaged (a) as proprietors or salaried employees; (b) as wage-earners, and the total amount of (a) salaries and (b) wages paid in the year 1933, and the number of establishments in respect of which this information has been compiled.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Output of Various Commodities.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the total quantity of (a) bread and (b) flour confectionery, biscuits and other bakery products produced, and the total net selling value, the value of the net output, the average number of persons employed (a) as proprietors and salaried employees and (b) as wage-earners, and the total amount of (a) salaries and (b) wages paid during the year 1933, and the number of establishments in respect of which this information has been compiled.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the value of the gross output of work done and goods made in the building and contracting trades during the year 1933, and the value of the net output, the total number of persons employed (a) as proprietors and salaried employees, and (b) as wage-earners and the total amount of (a) salaries and (b) wages paid during the year, and the total number of establishments in respect of which the information is compiled.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the value of the gross output of goods made and work done in the timber trade during the year 1933, and the value of the net output, the average number of persons engaged (a) as proprietors and salaried employees and (b) as wage-earners, and the total amount of (a) salaries and (b) wages paid during the year, and the total number of establishments in respect of which the information is compiled.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the net selling value of the gross output of mines and quarries for the year 1933, and the value of the net output, the average number of persons engaged (a) as proprietors and salaried employees, (b) as wage-earners, during the year, and the amount paid in (a) salaries and (b) wages during the year, and the number of establishments in respect of which the information is compiled.
I propose to take Nos. 16 to 20 together. The particulars which the Deputy desires are not available for the year 1933, except as regards the quantity of creamery butter produced, which was 678,202 cwts., and the quantity and value of coal raised, which was 105,287 tons valued at £79,104. Complete censuses of industrial production were taken for the years 1926, 1929 and 1931, but for reasons of economy it was decided to restrict the censuses for the years 1932 to 1935, inclusive, to certain industries which are specified in the Statistics (Census of Production) Order, 1932. The industries referred to in the Deputy's questions were not amongst those included in these limited censuses. It is proposed to hold an inquiry in respect of the production of all industries for the year 1936.
Are we to understand that, neither in the case of the making of butter nor of bread nor in the building and contracting trades, nor in the timber trade, nor in the working of mines and quarries, the Minister cannot give us any of the information that is indicated here, such as, say, the number of wage-earners employed during the year? Will he say what was the idea of introducing an economy of this particular kind that, in respect of these important industries, cut out the obtaining of rather vital informatioa that had been obtained in former years?
It was decided upon as an economy.
Will the Minister say whether things have become so bad as that we cannot afford to get statistics as to the number of people engaged in one of our most important industries, the butter industry; or as to the number of people engaged in the bread industry?
They will have it in respect of next year.
Will the Minister say why we could not have it in respect of this year or last year?
Because, in the interests of economy we did not seek it.
Is the situation as bad as all that?
No, it is as good as all that.