Mr. Fowler, the head of the Local Government Board, has
reissued the circular of 1886 (Mr. Chamberlain's, we believe) to the various Boards of Guardians, suggesting that any relaxa- tion of the rules against outdoor relief is extremely dangerous and inexpedient, but that, as it is very desirable not to throw industrious workmen needlessly on the parish, the commence- ment of further works of a remunerative kind, like paving, or laying out cemeteries or public gardens, or establishing sewage works, might be, so far as possible, very opportune just now, and likely to prevent a good deal of needless distress. This is of the nature of a "counsel of perfection" from the Local Government Board to the guardians or sanitary authorities of the rest of the country, for the Local Government Board has no power in the matter. Indeed, a great deal of our modern statesmanship seems to consist in bringing counsels of perfection, which the statesman who endorses them has no power to enforce, before authorities who will not feel very much relieved of responsibility by being told that the par- ticular statesman in question approves their incurring that responsibility.
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