Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume VIII. Minutes of evidence (123rd to 138th days) with appendix. This volume contains the oral and written evidence of witnesses relating chiefly to the subject of "unemployment."

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume VIII. Minutes of evidence (123rd to 138th days) with appendix. This volume contains the oral and written evidence of witnesses relating chiefly to the subject of "unemployment.". Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    550/674 (page 534)
    APPENDIX No. XXXIX STATEMENT OF EVIDENCE BY HERBERT HUGHES, ESQ., C.M.G., DEPUTY LORD MAYOR OF SHEFFIELD. 1. Beyond the normal small percentage of persons un- employed, usually because they are vmemployable, or from time to time are out of work from personal causes, there is practically little or no unemployment at the present time, 2. Such unemployment does exist from time to time, but in the case of Sheffield arises from the ebbing of a tide of trade prosperity. 3. At present the tide is flowing, which accounts for the answer to the first question, but when the inevitable ebb ■comes there will be undoubtedly unemployment from what may be termed the natural cause of the falling off of trade. 4. It is difficult to understand what is meant by the •effect of unemployment arising from such a cause as I have set out. 5. The real effect of course is to put stress upon those who from no fault of their own are out of employ- ment, which has usually been met in Sheffield by the subscriptions of those who desire to help them over a time of bad trade. 6. It is to be feared that there will be recurring periods of bad trade owing to the curtailment of the world-wide trade which Sheffield carries on, but the effect in Sheffield has never been such as could not be coped with by the ■co-operation of those people who were willing to assist. 7. The remedy for this ebb and flow of trade does not, in my opinion, exist, nor would it be forthcoming from any artificial restrictions upon the import trade of the country. 8. There is no doubt that the cheap food available for the people enables a time of distress to be tided over with no very grave results so far as Sheffield is concerned. 9. In my opinion the conditions leading to unemploy- ment, in Sheffield lead, in greater or less degree, to un- employment in all countries. 10. With regard to the Unemployed Workman's Act, I ibelieve that it does good, inasmuch as it has tended to •explode the fallacy that there is continuous unemployment of deserving persons willing to work, while on the other hand in the recurring periods of distress owing to the fluctuations of trade, it may be of real benefit, in ascer- taining the extent and conditions of the problem to be solved and in assisting in applying the necessary remedies. 11. The danger of an Unemployed or Distress Committee in every town is lest it should, by unwise action, create the disease which it was brought into existence to mitigate. 12. If a Distress Committee considers that its duties are to get together a considerable sum of money and to apply it regardless of careful investigation of each case, and of the state of trade as a whole, it may be safely assumed that there will be plenty of unemployed ready for the benefits which may be offered; bub in Sheffield the Committee has, on the whole, acted as it seems to me with much care and discretion, and notliing but good results have therefore been forthcoming. 13. In Sheffield much care has always been exercised in actual times of distress to investigate cases, and yet there has undoubtedly been a large amount of imposition and overlapping in the distribution of monej'subscribed for the relief of distress, and lean imagine that the estabUshment of a Distress Committee under the Act, which up to now has not had to deal with a period of distress, may result in a much more discriminate distribution of any distress fund. 14. In conclusion I should like to point out that there have been sporadic areas of distress, owing to unem- ployment created by the capricious way in which Govern- ment orders have been given to Sheffield. 15. No doubt a great deal of uncertainty arises with regard to such orders by reason of the difficulty in ascer- taining what is the best gun, armour or ammunition avail- able for the moment, and it may also be contended that the class of workmen engaged on these Government orders are exceedingly well paid, and should be able to provide for what is more or less a recurring incident in their business life. 16. Nevertheless this policy of giving out Government orders at irregular intervals does affect employment in Sheffield, and may be referred to therefore as an incident in the problem so far as it affects this city. 17. In conclusion I should Uke to give my strong opinion that there is no chronic unemployment in Sheffield, save such as is within the personal control of the workmen affected.