With regard to the Government's Pensions scheme we must wait
for any information of value till next Tuesday when Mr. Neville Chamberlain will mote the second reading of the Bill. What we are particularly anxious to know is the estimated amount that will be saved under the Poor Law owing to the removal of widows and orphans from that administration. In our opinion we ought to aim at a really satisfactory measure of All-in Insurance such as would get rid of the Poor Law altogether. But we admit that even with the Pensions and Insurance scheme as it is, the complaint that an unwarrantable new burden is being placed upon industry may have to be modified if the Government can prove, as has been hinted, that their scheme will mean the saving of £6,000,000 a year of Poor Law expenditure. Moreover, the rating reforms in Mr. Neville Chamberlain's Bill should also give industry appreciable relief. How dangerous some of our British Soviets—urban Boards of Guardians--are becoming is shown by the report of the Finance Committee of the West Ham Board of Guardians. These Guardians have a deficit of over a quarter of a million besides owing to the Ministry of Health no less than £1,490,000.
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