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inquire into and discriminate between any applications made tothem
from persons unemployed; and that if the local body were
satisfied that any such applicant was honestly desirous of obtaining
work but was temporarily unable to do so from exceptional
causes and considered that his case was capable of more suitable
treatment under the Bill than under the Poor Law, they might
endeavour to obtain work for the applicant or if they thought the
case was one for treatment by the Central Body rather than the
local body refer the case to the Central Body, but that the local
body should have no power to provide work for any unemployed
person; that the Local Government Board might make orders and
regulations for the constitution and proceedings of the Central
and Local Bodies, including regulations of the condition under
which work might be provided by the Central Body, the establishment
of farm colonies, the acceptance, regulation, and administration
of money or property, the enforcement of payment of contributions
by Borough Councils, the borrowing of money and the
general regulation of the manner in which any duties are to be
performed under the Bill. The duties of the Central Body were to
include superintending and as far as possible co-ordinating the
action of the local bodies and aiding the efforts of those bodies by
establishing, taking over, or assisting labour exchanges and employment
registers, and the collecting of information and enquiring
into cases referred to them by the local bodies. The Central
Body might if it thought fit assist unemployed persons by aiding
their emigration, or removal to another area, or by the provision
of temporary work or otherwise in such a manner as they think
best calculated to put them in a position to obtain regular work
or other means of supporting themselves. Any expenses of the
Central Body and of the local bodies if incurred with the consent
of the Central Body were to be defrayed out of the central fund
under the management of the Central Body, which fund was to be
supplied by voluntary contributions and by contributions made
by each Borough Council in proportion to rateable value. A separate
account was to be kept of all sums supplied by contributions
from Borough Councils and no expenses of providing temporary
work except at a farm colony was to be paid out of that account.
Contributions by Borough Councils were not in any year to
exceed the sum equal to a rate of ½d. in the £ or such higher rate
of not exceeding 1d. in the £ as the. Local Government Board
might approve. The Bill was to be compulsory for London, but
outside London a similar organisation was to be established by
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