The majority on the West Ham Board of Guardians continue
to hold their truculent attitude towards the Ministry of Health over the reduction by 4s. of their maximum rate of out-door relief, now 59s. a week, and over the reckoning of the total income of an applicant's household. They throw out dark hints of much greater trouble in store when they are united with other Boards in threatening the Ministry responsible for them. They are evidently prepared to increase the existing financial chaos since they are taking no steps to raise the rates to be collected, or in any way provide for payment of debts or the higher expenditure in which they have involved the borough. They plainly desire to keep the unearned relief at a figure not " less eligible," in the language of the old Poor Law Reformers, than wages : a fatal policy as all students of sociology know. We do not know what the Ministry expected to happen about rents when it confined relief to vouchers payable to tradesmen. The Communists have naturally raised a " No Rents " cry. The issue of vouchers began on Tuesday and was accepted with contentment on the whole.
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