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9
unreliable duration. Those who are so fortunate
as to have employment of comparative regularity
are frequently paid low wages. In considering the
figures as to public assistance it should be borne
in mind that these only relate to cases in which
assistance has actually been invoked. There are
doubtless thousands of individuals who struggle on
in economic difficulties either through technical ineligibility
for such assistance or disinclination to
seek it. The foregoing circumstances naturally lead
to a low standard of life, where nutrition, clothing
and housing fall below the levels desirable for a
healthy life. While public measures of one kind and
another have done a great deal to prevent gross
deterioration, such as existed before the war, it
must be recognised that they are inadequate to
ensure that the families concerned (who constitute
a substantial section of the community) can get
enough of the right types of food, clothing and housing
to maintain the much higher standard of life
which may reasonably be expected by every member of
the community to-day. Public attention has been
recently directed to the nutrition branch of this
problem, which is all to the good, but I think it
necessary to emphasise that while food may be the
first essential for a healthy life, it is by no means the
only one. We have also to consider whether families
have the means to provide themselves with such
clothing and shelter as they need for the protection
and sound development of their bodies.
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.
Although there has been some improvement during
the year, the large amount of unemployment and
poverty in the Borough is indicated by the considerable
number of persons receiving public assistance,
which was 3,787 at the end of 1936.