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order of the Local Government Board who might postpone the
making of an order upon the application of a county Borough
Council until that Council was of opinion that the circumstances
rendered it desirable.
83. The Bill was considered by the Joint Committee for this
Borough appointed under Mr. Long's scheme, referred to in the
last annual report, who passed the following resolutions thereon:—
"(a) That the Committee does not approve of creating new
authorities dealing with employment relief with monies raised by rates."
"(b) That the Bill if applied to London only would result in
attracting a large number of workmen to the Metropolis in the false hope
of obtaining employment."
"(c) That voluntary contributions and rates never co-exist for any
length of time together and that the effect of the Bill would inevitably
tend to dry up the former."
84. These resolutions were adopted by this Council and a
petition for an alteration of the Bill so as to make it uniform
throughout the country presented to Parliament.
85. This Council also appointed The Mayor (Alderman Anderson)
and Councillor Glegg its representatives to attend a Conference
convened by the London County Council of representatives
of that Council, the City Corporation, the Metropolitan Borough
Councils, and Boards of Guardians at which the following resotutions
were passed, viz.:—
"(1) That this Conference is of opinion that, whilst legislation on
the subject of the unemployed is urgently needed and should place the
cost on national and not on local funds, it is desirable that the Unemployed
Workmen Bill, 1905. should be substantially amended."
"(2) That this Conference is of opinion that the Unemployed
Workmen Bill, 1905, should be made compulsory throughout the country
as well as in London."
"(3) That this Conference objects to the provisions of the
Unemployed Workmen Bill, 1905, in so far as they create 30 additional
authorities in London, thus adding to the existing complications of local
administration in the Metropolis, and in so far also as they confer a power
of rating, although limited, upon an indirectly elected authority." (Carried
Ay 34 against 25.)
"(4) That the words 'Farm Colonies' be omitted from the Bill and
that the words 'labour colonies' be substituted therefor and other consequential
alterations made in the Bill." (Carried by 20 against 3.)