Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-09-28
LONDON'S UNEMPLOYED.
Bill Providing for Relief by Work Be-
fore Parliament.

fore Parliament.
The past winter has been notable
one in England as far as labor con
ditions are concerned. says the Bos-
ton Transcript. The returns issued
each month by the London local gov
eminent board show that the number
of persons in receipt of relief from
he State is higher than in any pre-
ceding year since 1874. SO acute has
the situation become that the gov
eminent has introduced in Parliament
II measure designed to afford relief,
known as the unemployed workmen'
bill. Some labor leaders have been
urging workingmen to march on Lon
don in a body. and several Populations
have acted on the suggestion. one
deputation which arrived In London
was refused admission to the WIS.,
itorS' gallery of the House Of Com
mons and none of them have been re-
ccivcd, yet the government fathers
this workngmen's bill, recognizing the
Importance Of the problem.
"The unemployed workmen bill pro-
vides for public relief by employment.
| compulsory in London optionally in
the rest of the country" according to
the New York World 1T Is based on
the principle that an applicant hon
estly DESTROYS Of obtaining work, but
temporarily unable to do so from eX
ceptional causes over which he has
no control should have a right to re-
ccive employment relief. The ex
penses are to be met by a special tax.
supplemented by contributions. The
unemployed taxes cannot he used to
provide temporary work except on
farm colonies, thus drawing surplus
labor away from congested cities and
back to the land. This new authority
will also keep labor registers, assist
applicants by emigration and removal
and share the cost of employment by
other bodies. On the other hand. as
safeguards, wages are to be less than
t he normal earnings of the unskilled
In borCr, and no one shall be assisted
more than two years in succession"
The unemployed bill" will go n
long way toward rcvolutionizing the
administration of the poor law. says
II. Douglas Shields in the World To
lay. ut will include the appointment
of Il minister of industry. whose bust
ness it will he to have in readiness
schemes of Il national character to sup
ply work for those in need of it. In
thus taking upon itself the responsible
lily for the supply of labor. the govern
ment is only following the lead that
has been given by the workers them
selves. If there is one feature of the
problem that is more striking than an
other, it is the decrease in the reluc-
lance Of sclf-rcSpecting men and wom-
en- to seek the aid of the State in times
of distress. In Bradford 1000 men
bcSicged the workhouse ANA demanded
help. telling the guardians of the poor
law that their methods of giving relief
were inhrman. ana protesting against
| the law which DISTINGUISHES men who
have received State support within
| twelve months previous. Similar incl
| dents have occurred elsewhere. In
thus demanding work and failing it,
money ut the hands of the authorities.
| the people are we'll within their legal
rights In 1901 an act of Parliament
made ii incumbent upon the authori-
| ties Of every village ana town to pro-
vide work for the unemployed and as
sistance for those who could not work
Penalties were inflicted in cases OF
neglect to perform these duties. They
were given powers to acquire land be-
longing or adjacent to the village and
| to let it in allotments to those able for
agricultural work. This act has never
been repealed"