INSTRUCTIONAL CENTRES

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR] SIR,—The following is a quotation from a Report of the U.A.B. for the year ended October, 1938, under the heading "Instructional Centres ": "A period of some weeks spent under healthy influences at an Instructional Centre interposed in a long period of unemployment may save a man from hopeless deterioration."

The Report admits that of 39,000 applicants willing to go to such centres 16,000, or approximately 40 per cent., did not go, either because they entered employment or they were rejected on medical grounds.

Over twelve months 22 per cent, of the Board's applicants were medically rejected.

Of the 23,000 who attended the centres, 2,855 secured employment direct from the centres and 2,906 within six months of leaving. The employment secured was of varying duration, and employment was not necessarily obtained as a result of the training received.

The Report says that the " attractiveness " of the centres would be "undoubtedly added to" if employment was virtually certain at the end of the training.

It would seem that at present the centres are therefore of little value, because : (a) A fifth of those applying arc not physically fit enough to attend.

(b) Only approximately a quarter of those attending find employment of any kind.

(c) It does not necessarily follow that those finding employ- ment do so because of their period of training.

(d) Of those finding employment so per cent, have to wait up to six months for whatever job they are successful in obtaining.

(e) That for the majority it is a break in a "long term of unemployment" which saves them from "hopeless deteriora- tion."

By drawing attention to such aspects of the problem as this it does not follow that it is necessarily correct to condemn or criticise the machinery of the U.A.B., but it is obviously urgently necessary to condemn unemployment and all that it means— its squalor, misery, and innutrition—if the best that we can offer these unfortunate folk who, through no fault of their own find themselves in such a plight, is a " break " in a long term of unemployment to save them from hopeless deterioration.

In conclusion, might I quote a case which came to my notice only this week?

A woman was deserted by her husband and was left stranded with three children, aged, I believe, five, seven and nine years. As a result she appealed to the U.A.B. for assistance because all that she could get otherwise was a total income of 24s. per week, made up as follows : 15s. for herself and 35. for each child. Her rent is Hs. per week for one large room divided into two. The U.A.B. will probably make her total " benefit " up to practically 305. per week.

The B.M.A. state that the minimum diet for a man, woman and three children is 325. Lid. per week when last costed!

If these underfed children grow up with warped minds into criminals because they cannot get a job, who is to blame?

Is it not time that we all began to ask ourselves what have people done to deserve such a miserable outlook? Is it not time unemployment was abolished?

Kingsway Hall, Kingsway, W.C. 2.