SECOND READING. (Hansard, 14 June 1892)

§ *THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. RITCHIE,) Tower Hamlets, St. George's

As the object of this Bill is to make some changes with regard to the treatment of the casual poor, I think I ought to make some statement as to the reasons which prompted the Government to introduce it, and also as to what it proposes to do. I have been myself for a long time dissatisfied with regard to the manner in which the casual poor of London are dealt with, and I have supplemented a personal investigation in London by that of Inspectors. The result has been to show that, although London is one unit in respect of casuals, yet the treatment of casuals has been in the different Unions of a very varied character. It is obvious that this is a condition of things which is not conducive to the proper treatment of casuals. The natural effect of such a state of things is that a tendency exists for casuals to go to those wards where they are accorded the most lenient treatment, and to keep away from those where they are more rigorously dealt with. A great deal of pressure is therefore brought to bear upon some wards, while in others the applications are comparatively few. Now, Sir, I found that the chief variations in the casual wards in the Metropolis were with reference to the hour of discharge and the task the casuals had to perform. As the law at present stands, no casual is entitled to demand his discharge until nine o'clock in the morning, although the Guardians may at their discretion allow a man to discharge himself before that time. I have issued two circulars in the course 1077 of the last year or two to Boards of Guardians in the Metropolis pointing out the great hardship which is involved in respect of men who are honestly desirous of searching for work in detaining them until an hour when it is almost impossible for them to obtain it; and I have suggested that in a case of that kind the Guardians might exercise the discretion vested in them, and allow the casuals to discharge themselves earlier. I find that in a considerable number of instances the suggestion contained in these circulars has been acted upon, but there still exist several wards in which the casuals are detained to, I think, an unduly late hour. Well, Sir, this matter is one I am able to deal with by Order, and I have within the last few days issued an Order to all the Unions in the Metropolis making it compulsory upon them to allow casuals who have to the best of their ability discharged the task of work imposed upon them to discharge themselves at half-past five in the summer and half-past six in the winter. This will enable the honest wayfarer to seek for work at a time when it is most readily secured. The question of the variation in the task of work imposed is one of much more difficulty, and I have invited the Boards of Guardians in London to appoint delegates to attend a conference at the Local Government Board Offices for the purpose of ascertaining whether arrangements cannot be made by which these various tasks may be reduced to something like uniformity. Now, Sir, the matter dealt with in the Bill before the House refers to another branch of the subject. I have been very much struck by representations which have been made to me with respect to the very large number of refusals of admission which occur every year in the casual wards of London. I think that arrangements with reference to casuals should be of such a nature as to prevent the possibility of these refusals taking place. In my opinion, it is the absolute duty of Boards of Guardians to make such provision as will enable them to relieve all destitute persons. The fact that in London at a certain period of the year poor wayfarers are turned away from the casual wards owing to there being no room for 1078 them, while accommodation is not found for them elsewhere, is to me an indication that the Poor Law has in this respect broken down. Now, it so happens that while there is a considerable pressure upon some wards, and refusals take place every night, there are other wards where this state of things does not exist. To my mind, there ought to be some means by which applicants who have to be refused admission to a particular casual ward should be informed of other wards in which there is accommodation, or you may have these unfortunate persons travelling about footsore hour after hour seeking for a place of shelter and eventually finding none. This Bill proposes to set up a central station which shall be in telephonic communication with all the casual wards of London, so that if a casual applies for admittance to a ward where there is no room he may be informed of the various wards where there is accommodation. And this Bill further proposes that in cases where the distance from one ward to another may be remote, the Central Authority may provide some means for the conveyance of the casuals. The Bill goes a step further. Taking the Metropolis as a whole, there is, I think, a distinct deficiency in the matter of casual poor accommodation, which is very largely owing to the fact that there are several Unions in the Metropolis that do not provide casual wards at all, relying upon the casual poor being received in the neighbouring Unions. Now, Sir, the Local Government Board may call upon Boards of Guardians who have not provided casual wards to do so; but in case the Guardians do not obey the Order, the remedy is a very cumbrous one. We have to apply to the Court of Queen's Bench for a mandamus to compel the Boards of Guardians to do what they have been called upon to do. This takes a great deal of time; it is attended with great trouble, and not always with success. I think, therefore, there should be some Central Body charged with the duty of providing such casual accommodation as the Local Government Board may consider necessary in the event of default being made by the Boards of Guardians. We take power in this Bill to call upon the 1079 Central Authority referred to therein to provide wards in those cases where the Guardians have neglected to do so. The only remaining question which I think it is necessary to trouble the House with, is what the Central Body should be. And, Sir, I have come to the conclusion that the Metropolitan Asylums Board is the authority we ought to make use of for the purposes of this Bill. First, because it is the only Poor Law Authority in London, an authority that has charge of a very large number of the sick poor; but there is another reason—namely, they have the necessary provision at their ambulance station, in the form of horses, &c., in case they wish to put in force the power given them in this Bill of conveying casuals from one ward to another when the distance is too far for them to walk. These, Sir, are the provisions of the Bill. They are extremely simple, and I hope they will commend themselves to the House. I have no doubt whatever that if the Metropolitan Asylums Board is charged with the duties proposed to be imposed upon them they will discharge those duties in a manner satisfactory to the people of London, as they have, I think, hitherto discharged all their duties. I beg to move the Second Reading of this Bill.