BRITISH UNEMPLOYED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22911, 19 June 1936, Page 13

BRITISH UNEMPLOYED

WORK OF ASSISTANCE BOARD HUGE TASK ACCOMPLISHED (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, June 17. (Received June 18, at 5.5 p.m.) The magnitude of the task confronting the Unemployment Assistance Board in creating a new social service for ablebodied unemployed is described in the board’s first annual report. Appointed on July 1, 1934, the board was called on to set up within six months more than 300 district offices manned by a staff of over 0000 persons and to appoint 130 appeal tribunals. On the first appointed day, January 7, 1935, it was required to assume the responsibility for the transitional payments class, amounting to about 800,000 applicants, who, with their dependents, made a total of about 2,500,000 persons. On the second appointed day, March 1, 1935, a further 200,000 applicants were taken over.

Lord Ruschclifi'e, chairman of the board, states in his introduction that no social service on such a large scale had been attempted in this country within such a limited period. Feare that the board might prove soul-less and bureaucratic have, he says, been shown to be groundless. Many examples are quoted of the way in which officers have given extra assistance in cases of special need.