The Appeal to Local Authorities The Prime Minister's recent appeal
to local authorities for their co-operation- in reducing unemployment had its first result in the Guildhall Conference on Tuesday. The Prime Minister in opening the COnference attributed the appalling increase in unemployment to world-wide influence. He wanted, he said, to see " vigorous social minds putting their energies into a common pool " and agreeing upon schemes that would not only benefit the unemployed, but would be "an added capital asset to the whole country." That is clearly the sound principle. A sobering fact, however, is that the local authorities have already been called in several times and the argu- ment has always narrowed down to the question of how the expense should be shared. The original half-and- half arrangement between the State and the local author- ities has broken down, and the share of the State is now on the average not much less than 60 per cent. and in many cases it is much more. Some local authorities protest such poverty that they say they are unable to make any contribution at all. • * * *
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