§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S. W.)asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether he is aware that in the Bethnal Green Union the actual cost of the rations of the workhouse and the school officers (seven principal and sixty-eight subordinate) is twelve shillings and eightpence per head per week, whereas the amount repaid for these rations to the Bethnal Green Union out of the common fund, according to the scale fixed by the Local Government Board, works out at only seven shillings and fivepence halfpenny per head per week, so that in respect of this expense alone Bethnal Green pays over £1,000 per annum in excess of the sum recouped to it; whether the cost per head of officers rations in the Bethnal Green Union fairly represents their average cost throughout the Metropolis; why, seeing that "The Metropolitan Poor Act, 1870," provides that the term "salaries of officers" shall include the cost of the rations of the officers, differ- 1095 ent rules are applied in the two cases, the Local Government Board allowing the full amount of the salaries, but little more than half the average cost of the rations; and, whether Mr. Goschen, who had charge in this House of the Bill of 1870, then stated that "the principle of the Bill was to equalise the rates as far as possible?"
§ THE PRESIDENT (Mr. RITCHIE) (Tower Hamlets, St. George's), in reply, said, he had no reason to doubt the general accuracy of the figures quoted by the hon. Member. He stated the other day that at the time the scale was fixed an inquiry was made and a scale fixed which appeared to the Local Government Board approximately to give an average throughout the Metropolis. The question whether or not the amount which was fixed at present was an adequate amount would form part of the investigation which, as he had stated to the House, he was about to make.