In debating the report of the Unemployment Assistance Board members
had remarkably little to say about the actual administration of the Means Test. In view of the frequent and furious altercations that used to take place on this topic, there seems to be some justification for the suggestion, now often 'heard, that the revised regulations have obviated the major grievances. The Board is now able to give fuller consideration to the condition of the unemployed, and the problems arising from unemployment, as distinct from mere computation of relief. On Monday interest was chiefly concentrated on that section of the report which dealt with cases where the scales of assistance came to more than the applicants would normally earn when in full employment. The number was put at about 6,500. That figure, however, as Mr. Acland pointed out, by no means represents the whole extent of the, problem, for it follows that there must be many people who are actually working for wages lower than the Board's standard of subsistence. An interesting con- tribution came from Mr. Cartland, who is unusually well-in- formed on the condition of the people and who does not shrink from highly unorthodox conclusions. " Economic insecurity " in his view was merely a synonym for " industrial slavery." He believed that the country needed a great extension of the social services, and if objection was to be taken on grounds of expense he invited attention to two sets of figures, the rise in wage rates compared with the rise in profits and the rise in dividends. Coming from the Con- servative Benches, these sentiments are certainly remarkable.
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