The Means Test Again A sustained attack was made upon
the Government (not only by Labour Members) in the House of Commons in the discussion of the Means Test as applied by officials of the new Public Assistance Board. It should be borne in mind that the anticipated increase in the scale of relief under the new Regulations, amounting in all to £3,000,000, is an. estimate only. If in practice the method of administration should be on the side of severity, the total would obviously be less. It is only fair to remember that the Board has only recently come into being, and it may be expected that the working of the new system will be smoother a few weeks hence than it is now. Complaints from areas where the adminis- tration of relief had been notoriously prodigal were to be expected. But even so the protests are too general to be disregarded. The Board ought to be on its guard against the possible effects of precisely that weakness which The Spectator pointed out long ago—that the removal of the personal touch of persons ac- customed to local work would tend towards rigidity and harshness. Certain of the regulations, particularly that regarding reductions when the rent is unusually low, must be reconsidered, and the Minister of Labour was wise to promise at once that they should be.
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