Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XIX. B. Report by Mr. Cyril Jackson on the effects of employment or assistance given to the "unemployed" since 1886 as a means of relieving distress outside the Poor Law in Ireland.

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XIX. B. Report by Mr. Cyril Jackson on the effects of employment or assistance given to the "unemployed" since 1886 as a means of relieving distress outside the Poor Law in Ireland. 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.

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    names were received, and the Committee did not feel justified in keeping their register open for a longer period at that time. The office was not again opened for applications, but a few others were received from various sources, and the total brought up to 1,316. The Com- • mittee proceeded to visit the homes of applicants, for the purpose of cismissing at once the cases which were evidently unsuitable. They then summoned the men or women to attend at their office for examination and the filling up of a record paper. Finally, they applied to previous employers and others in verification of the applicants' statements. On July 24th it was thought that enough had been done to justify an application to the Vice-President of the Local Government Board for a grant from the Queen's Fund. The Committee showed that out of a total of 194 cases classified, 142 appeared to be those of persons able and willing to work, while sixty-six stated that they had, until recently, been in regular employment.* It was pointed out that the investigation, so far as it had gone, suggested the existence of widespread unemployment, and a sum of £300 or £400 was asked for to enable the Committee to start a test labour-yard and a further grant for the removal of families to suitable places where work might be found for them. It was hoped that many who were originally countrymen might find work upon English farms. A sum of £500 was received from the Local Government Board on September 6th, and the Com- mittee devoted some of the money to subsidising a labour-yard, which had been started, and is still kept open in Dublin, and to which they sent some of their applicants.! It was found to be too late in the season to take up the removal of agricultural labourers. The labours of the Committee ceased when the Corporation decided to adopt the Unemployed Workmen Act on November 23rd, 1906. The final results of the Committee's investigation are given as follows :— Applicants - 1,316 Struck out on preliminary visit 320 Found work for themselves - - - - - 98 Did not attend when summoned . . . . 296 References not yet verified 10 Remainder classified ------- 592 These 592 cases were placed in four classes. In the first, those of good character, able and willing to work, in the second, decent people who were not particularly capable ; in the third, the incapable ; in the fourth those of doubtful character. There were : First class 405 Second class 127 Third class - - - - 22 Fourth class - 38 592 The small nuirijbers in the last two classes is accounted for by the weeding out done at the preliminary visit. Of 376 men in the first class, seventy-five were recently in regular work, and of these seven were skilled workmen. In an extremely interesting Report the Committee put forward several attractive plans, upon which money available for the unemployed in Dublin might well be spent. A laundry for unemployed women J and shops for the manufacture of boys' clothes and cheap furniture for men are suggested as well as relief works of a more conventional kind. It is interesting to read that as the result of enquiries made upon the question, the Committee report that in their opinion there is no need for a labour exchange, as there is no lack of adequate communication of intelligence between employers and employees in Dublin. In the absence of an expansion of trade they think the only prospect to permanent relief is to be found in the policy of removing suitable men. They put themselves into communication with some of the Rural District Councils, but reported that private and individual efforts appeared to be likely to give the best results. In the end they only managed to send fom- men into country work (in counties Cavan and Carlow), two of whom came back to Dublin. * At this time replies had not been received from many employers, and this would appear to account for the difference between the ratio of 66 to 142 and the figures finally obtained. f A large number of the applicants refused to go to the labour-yard. It was estimated that only about 30 per cent, accepted this form of relief. t The women applicants are said to have been of an extremely rough class. Some sewing was given to th^ra.