Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XXVII. Replies by Distress Committees to Questions circulated on the subject of the Unemployed Workmen Act, 1905.

  • Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress 1905-09
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XXVII. Replies by Distress Committees to Questions circulated on the subject of the Unemployed Workmen Act, 1905. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    51/102 (page 39)
    aUESTION 2. In the event of the renewal of the Act, in which ways, if any, should it be amended ? NORTHAMPTON.—(r?) That co-opted members should he abolished; the Distress Committee to be composed of an equal number of members of the Town Council and of the Board of Guardians. (b) That grants be made from the Imperial Exchequer, regard being had to the number of unemployed registered in the district. NORTHFLEET.—>S6'c answer to Question 1. NORWICH. NOTTINGHAM.—iSee answer to Question 1. OLDHAM.—Power should be given to Local Authorities for the establishment and maintenance of temporary relief work from funds partially State-aided and partially rate-aided. PLYMOUTH.—That Art. II., I (iv.) (c.) of the Regulations (Organisation for Uneuiployed), 1905, relating to applicants who had been in receipt of relief f rom the Guardians during the period of twelve months immediately preceding the date of their application, be so amended that Distress Committees may be enabled to entertain certain applications, in cases which showed a good record of previously continuous employment, or were otherwise considered suitable cases in other respects. (b) That in view of the efforts to obtain voluntary subscriptions having failed, the Act be amended so that the cost of providing employment under the Act should not be dependent upon voluntary contributions. PORTSMOUTH.—By establishing a labour colony under Government supervision. PRESTON.—>S'^^ answer to Question 1. READING.—(a) Distress Committees should not be dependent upon voluntary contri- butions for the purpose of defraying the cost of w^ork provided by them, and the* expenses of niaintenance of farm colonies, and Sec. 1 (6) of the Act should be amended accordingly, so as to provide that these expenses shall be defrayed out of grants from the National Exchequer ; and the restrictions contained in the said Section relative to the expenditure of the amount produced by the rate of one halfpenny in the pound, or such higher rate, not exceeding one ])enny, as the Local Government Board may approve, should be repealed, so as to allow Distress Committees to utilise the rate contributions for all or either purposes of the Act. (b) Art. 11., 1 (iv.) of the Regulations should be amended so as to give Committees discretionary power to entertain the case of an applicant who is, and has been during the period of twehe months immediately preceding the date of the application, in receipt of Poor Law relief, and also the case of an applicant who has in two successive periods of twelve months immediately preceding the date of the application been employed on work provided by a Distress Committee, or on work towards the provision of which a Distress Committee have contributed, RHONDDA.—>See answer to Question 1. ROCHDALE. ROTHERHAM.—Provision should be made enabling Distress Committees to provide and pay for relief works, the necessary moneys being provided by Parliament, as the present financial arrangements are unsatisfactory and do not allow any scope for proper relief.