Alaska sentinel., 1905-11-16
LoNooN's UNEMPLOYED.
Bill Providing for Relief by Work Be-
 fore Parliament.

fore Parliament.
 The past winter has been a 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 ernment board show that the number of persons in receipt of relief from the State is higher than in any pre- ceding year since 1874. So acute has the situation become that the gov ernment has introduced in Parliament a measure designed to afford relief, known as the unemployed workmen' bill. Some labor leaders have been urging workingmen to march on Lon- don in body. and several deputations have acted on the suggestion. One deputation which arrived in London was refused admission to the yis- itors' gallery of the House of Com mons and none of them have been re- ceived, yet the government fathers this workingmen's bill, recognizing the importance of the problem.
 The unemployed workmen bill pro yides for public relief by employment. compulsory in London, optionally in the rest of the country" according to the New York World. Tt Is based on the principle that an applicant hon. estly desirous of obtaining work, but temporarily unable to do so from ex- ceptional causes over which he has no control should have right to re- ceive employment relief. The ex- penses are to be met by 8 special tax, supplemented by contributions. The unemployed taxes cannot be 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 the normal earnings of the unskilled laborer, and no one shall be assisted more than two years in succession"
 The unemployed bill" will go a long way toward revolutionizing the administration of the poor law, says E. Douglas Shields in the World To day. Tt will include the appointment of minister of industry, whose busi- ness 1t will be to have in readiness, schemes of national character to SUD- ply work for those in need of 1t. In thus taking upon itself the responsibil- fA ment Is only following the lead that has been given by the workers them- selves. If there Is one flea ture of the problem that is more striking than an- other, 1t is the decrease in the reluc- tance of self-respecting men and wom- en to seek the aid of the State in times of distress. In Bradford 2,0OO men besieged the workhouse and demanded help. telling the guardians of the poor law that their methods of giving relief were inhuman, and protesting against the law which disfranchises men who have received State support within twelve months previous. Similar incl dents have occurred elsewhere. In thus demanding work and, failing 1t, money at the hands of the authorities, the people are well within their legal rights. In 1601 an act of Parliament made 1t incumbent upon the authori- ties of every village and 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 1t in allotments to those able for agricultural work. This act has never been repealed"