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267
be given when necessary. The Committee have not advocated
visits from voluntary workers to the homes of the men employed
on the Colonies, preferring to rely upon the official reports of the
Clerk and the Investigators.
Value of
Conferences.
The Committee are of opinion that Distress Committee Conferences
are of very little practical utility.
Value of the
"Reserve"
System.
The system of having a number of "reserve" preference
cases in addition to the actual number of vacancies
allotted to the various works has been of great
advantage, and much time is thus saved in filling vacancies as
they occur.
Preliminary
Investigation.
The Committee had referred to them, before investigation,
all cases where there appeared to be a technical
disqualification, and if the applicant did not comply
with the regulations issued by the Local Government Board no
further action was taken. All other applications were fully investigated.
Apprenticeship.
As the information necessary to answer this question was not
asked for in the schedule of instructions received
from the Local Government Board it cannot be
given. It, however, may be of interest to know that a Committee
on Industrial Education, with Dr. Macnamara as Chairman, is
now sitting considering the apprenticeship question. This Committee
has collected a vast amount of very useful information
bearing on apprenticeship which the Central Body ought to
obtain.
There are two and only two possible remedies for the distress
Unemployed. of the unemployed. The first is some change of
policy which will create, on sound commercial lines, fresh sources
of industrial activity.
The other and sad alternative is the deportation of these
workmen to countries where better conditions for prosperity are
made to prevail.
ALEX. GLEGG,
Chairman.
PERCIVAL REES,
V ice-Chairman.
(Marginal notes are the substance of queries formulated by the Central Body.)