NEWS OF THE WEEK.
IT IHE spectre of unemployment haunts the Christmas feast
The closing task of the Parliamentary session was to sanction certain palliative measures devised by the Government. Dr. Maenamara told the House of Commons on Tuesday that work, rather than doles, must be found for the 265,000 unem- ployed ex-Service men. The Government were resolved that at least 50,000 of them should be introduced into the housing industry, which is very short of skilled men. The Government would pay the trade unions £5 a head for training these ex-Service men ; they would guarantee working builders payment for half the time lost through stress of weather, up to 22 hours a week, and for three-quarters of the time lost over and above 22 hours a week. New arterial roads in London and the country would provide employment for thousands of men. A Com- mittee, with Lord St. Davids as chairman, would distribute £3,000,000 in grants to local relief works, other than roads or housing schemes. Persons insured under the Unemployment Insurance Act would be eligible for benefit as soon as they were out of work, instead of having to wait for a month. A Bill authorizing this temporary relaxation of the rules was passed through all its stages.
