The Rates and the Unemployed The Government is apparently to
get out of its difficulty about the financial burdens of the depressed areas for the moment by accepting a motion which lays it down in principle that the Government should be responsible for all able-bodied unemployed under 65 " with such read- justments in financial relations between the Exchequer and local authorities as is reasonable." That, of course, is a mere expedient to stave off serious Parliamentary trouble while the Cabinet decides on a permanent policy. At present the Government is responsible for all adults in insured trades, whether on covenanted or transitional benefit. ,Money for- them comes out of taxes. There is left to the Public 'Assistance Committees the num- ployed in the uninsured trade.s,„sfrd relief _for them eornes mainly out of rates. The difference is material, fur not only does the local burden become immensely heavy in a depressed area, but it falls with undue weight on part ieular sections of the community. The professional man and the -tradesman with equal incomes pay approximately equal taxes, but the tradesman pays far heavier rates, because he is assessed on his business premises as well as his private house. The Cabinet's trouble, no doubt, is as to how national funds arc to be locally administered. Most of its members, though not all, are understood still to favour the idea of .a Statutory .Commi ssion to run the whole public assistance machine of 'the country, transitional benefit included. The delay suggests that the inevitable difil. culties about that are bulking as large as they were in fact bound to bulk.
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