IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 12871, 21 July 1906, Page 5

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. THE BRITISH UNEMPLOYED. THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS. LONDON, July 20. In the House of Commons Mr John Burns (President of the Local Government Board) explained that, pending the report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws, the Government proposed to make a grant of £200,000 to assist the working of the Unemployed Workmen Act. That sum, with the rate-aided money and voluntary contributions, would b© sufficient to tide over the winter. It was intended to legislate in order to provide rural housing in England and Wales on tb© lines of the laborers’ Housing Bill, which was operating in Ireland, and also to bring forward a scheme for -the afforestation of 10,000 acres of Crown lands, so as to try to prevent dockers and casuals from burdening West Ham, Poplar, and East London. * Mr Burns strongly warned the trades unions that lie did not consider relief works desirable as a permanent feature of the social organisation. [The Unemployed Workmen Act (U.K.) of the Balfour Administration directs the Local Government Board to establish a distress committee rf every London Borough Connell, consisting tartly of councillors and partly of Poor Law guardians and persons experienced in the relief of distress, and a central body for the whole of London, consisting partly of members of distress committee? and London county councillors and partly of persons co-opted as additional member?—one member at least, both of distress committee <md central hodv. to be a woman. The relief ootauwble ‘is that if the distress committee are satipfied that any applicant is honestly desirous of obtaining work but is temporarily unable to do so from exceptional causes over which he has no control, and consider that his case is capable of more suitable treatment under this Act than under lire Poor Law. they may endeavor to find work for the applicant, or, if they think the ease is one for treatment by the central body rather than by themselves, refer the case to the central body, but the distress committee shall *>av© no power to provide, or contribute towards the provision of, work for any unemployed person. The expenses are to he defrayed .out of a central fund under the management of a central body, to bo supplied by voluntary, contributions and rates up to ono halfpenny in th© pound per annum, “or such higher rate, not exceeding on© penny, as the Local Government Board approve. - ” Provision of temporary work is not to work disfranchisement. The Act expires on August 11, 1908. The main feature of Mr Burns’s statement is the proposal to assist tbo rates and private help by a Government grant of £200,000, Tbo Royal Commission io inquire into the working of the Poor Laws were appointed on May 29, 1905. lard George Hamilton is chairman. A Homing of tbo Working Glasses Bill 1? now before a select committee of the House of Commons. Air Bums will make it the basis of a comprehensive Bill next year.] FREE MEALS FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN. LONDON, July 20, (Received July 21, at 7.29 a.m.i Thn Select Committee on Meals tor Scholars’ Bill recommend that the work of supplying these be entrusted to the local education authority, with the help of volunteers, and suggests levying a rate of a halfpenny in the £ to meet th© cost.