STORY INACCURATE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 75, 29 March 1934, Page 9

STORY INACCURATE

NEW L.C.C. AND'MEANS TEST.

REPLY TO "DAILY EXPRESS"

. • '. LONDON, March 28. ■ Mr. Herbert Morrison, a former Labour . Minister of Transport, and an alderman^ of London, describes, the "Daily Express" story that Labourites in the London County Council propose to abolish the "means test" as inaccurate, as it can only be done by Parliament, but Labour, in due course, will remove the excessive severity of administration which characterised the policy of the last council. The "Daily Express" stated that the Socialist-controlled; London County Council proposed revolutionary changes in the administration of the unemployed benefit. The means test, whereby the needs of applicants .for relief was assessed, would be abolished, the council thus deliberately ignoring the Tin-' employment Act. Tho payment of full-scale relief to all unemployed would cost £1,000,000 extra; ' The question was whether the Treasury would pay if'payments were made in defiance of the existing scheme. In the event of the Treasury refusing, the cost to the County^ Council would be old in the £ extra in rates. In order that the so-called huniaivising. of tho poor law might bexarried"put/all relief committees were, controlled by Socialists. ": . "'.,-'_' ' ■ .