NATIONAL BOOK-KEEPING.—REFORM SCHEME ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—The Denison House Committee on Public Assistance desire me, as their Chairman, to inform you that a substantial portion of the reform in national book-keeping, for which they petitioned the Government last year, has now been granted. The Financial Secretary of the Treasury has submitted, and the House of Commons has passed, a motion for the issue of a return showing, for the years ending March, 1891, 1901, 1911, 1918, or the latest available year, the total public expen- diture (other than out of loans) under certain Acts of Parlia- ment connected with various forms of social service in England and Wales, with similar particulars for Scotland and Ireland so far as obtainable. The return will further give the amounts of public expenditure for*the year ending March, 1918, or latest available year, distinguishing expenditure out of local rates from that under Parliamentary votes and grants.
The Acts contained in the Schedule are (1) National Health Insurance Acts, (2) National Unemployment Insurance Acts, (3) War Pensions Acts and the Ministry of Pensions Act, (4) Old Age Pensions Acts, (5) Education Acts, (6) Acts relating to Reformatory and Industrial Schools, (7) Inebriates Acts, (8) Public Health Acts, (9) Housing of the Working Classes Acts, (10) Acts relating to the Relief of the Poor, (11) Unem- ployed Workmen Act, (12) Lunacy Acts, (13) Mental Deficiency Acts, (14) Public Libraries Act.
This instalment of reform will, in the opinion of the Com- mittee, be of considerable value to the public, which has, so far, had no means of estimating the vast increase of expenditure which has taken place under these heads in recent years.
When these figures have been published the Committee pro- pose to ask for a further instalment, including the cost of ad- ministration; but meanwhile they desire me to express their thanks to you, Sir; and to the very large number of influential persons all over the United Kingdom without whose support the progress now reported could not have been made.—I am, Denison House, 290 Vauxhall Bridge Road, S.W. 1.
P.S.—I enclose a list of some of our supporters, and need hardly add that if any of your readers would care to join the movement and see a copy of our petition they have only to com- municate with our Secretary, Mr. II. L. Woolleombe, at the above address.
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