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9
occasionally obtain work for a short period. Others
may never be completely out of work for long, but
frequently working short time and always living in
the shadow of unemployment. These conditions are
profoundly disquieting from a public health point
of view. Serious outward signs of malnutrition may,
or may not, be visible. It is lowered resistance to
disease in general that is the most serious result of
long-continued substandard living. State unemployment assistance, local public assistance and friendly
help by relatives and neighbours do a great deal to
meet the most urgent material needs of the unemployed, but they are scarcely adequate even for this
purpose, as can be seen by the small allowances
made in respect of children, which inevitably means
that the allowances in respect of the adults in the
family, particularly the women, are drawn upon to
make up the deficiency.
Quite apart, however, from the purely physical
aspect, the mental and moral deterioration which
follows hope of useful employment too long deferred
also reacts unfavourably upon the resistance to
disease among the unemployed. "As I have pointed
out in previous years, and now repeat with increased
emphasis, the gravity of this state of things does
not lie in the immediate consequences but in the
lowered standard of vitality which is being bequeathed to the future and in the public health
problems of ensuing years which are being created by
our apparent social impotence to deal with unemployment.
The administration of public assistance is in the
hands of the London County Council. I have been
furnished, by the courtesy of the local Public Assistance Officer, with the following figures concerning
public assistance granted during the year.
The continued grave state of unemployment and
poverty in the Borough is indicated by the large
number of persons receiving public assistance (apart
from those obtaining medical relief only) which was
5,151 at the end of 1935.