§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (West Ham, S.)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the proceedings of the West Ham Board of Guardiaus reported in The West Ham Herald for 1st July, in which the Chairman and Clerk of the Board stated that they had no powers to acquire laud on which to set the unemployed to work; and whether this is a correct interpretation of their powers under the present Poor Laws? I beg also to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether his attention has been directed to the action of the West Ham Board of Guardians, at whose meeting last week a deputation representing the unemployed were refused a hearing; and whether he possesses any powers to compel the Guardians to receive representations made on behalf of 3,000 men who are out of employment?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. H. FOWLER, Wolverhampton, E.)I am informed that a deputation which waited on the Guardians of the West Ham Union presented a resolution demanding that the Guardians should buy land and provide productive work for the unemployed at Trade Union rate of wages. The Chairman pointed out that the Guardians had no power to provide productive employment in the sense indicated or to pay wages as demanded. The law does not empower the Guardians to provide employment for assisting those who are out of work. Their duty is to relieve destitution, and in connection with this relief they may impose a task of work as a test of destitution. In regard to the hon. Member's second question, I have to say I am informed 1144 that a deputation of four persons waited on the West Ham Guardians on the occasion referred to. The Guardians were addressed by Mr. Walsh and by three other members of the deputation. Mr. Walsh was making a further speech, in connection with which the Chairman intimated that the Guardians were not amenable to threats, and in accordance with a resolution adopted by the Guardians they proceeded to the consideration of the out-relief cases. The reception of deputations by Boards of Guardians is not a matter in which the Local Government Board have any jurisdiction.
§ MR. KEIR HARDIEArising out of the answer to my first question, may I ask if the Guardians have not the power to provide work on land instead of in stone yards?
§ MR. H. H. FOWLERI should not like to answer that question without notice. I think, perhaps, they would be empowered to acquire land for such a purpose.
§ MR. GROVE (West Ham, N.)May I ask whether, in view of the experiments which have been made on the Continent, in the direction of giving productive work to the unemployed, the Local Government Board will take an opportunity of trying the experiment at West Ham also?
§ MR. H. H. FOWLERThe Local Government Board have no power whatever to make experiments. The Guardians have simply the power to give outdoor relief, subject to the test of destitution known as the labour test, which is generally stone-breaking. I am not, however, prepared to say that some other test might not be employed if the Guardians see fit. We, as the Local Government Board, have no jurisdiction to impose on them the duty of putting the unemployed to productive work.
§ MR. KEIR HARDIEIs the right hon. Gentleman prepared to introduce a Bill giving this power to Boards of Guardians?
§ MR. H. H. FOWLERIn the present state of Public Business, I could not give any such undertaking.