Mr. POINTERasked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the circumstances attending the death of Richard Bartlett, a labourer, whose decomposed body was found in the river at Taunton, and upon whose body was found a letter, in which occurred grave charges of brutality and callousness on the part of a relieving officer named Chapman, em- 1190 ployed by the Taunton Board of Guardians; whether it is part of the duties of a relieving officer to direct men lacking physical strength to go to a member of the board of guardians to work for 1s. a day; and whether, if the matter has already been before his notice, he is prepared to take action in the matter; and, if not, will he inquire?
§ Mr. BURNSI had already caused inquiries to be made with regard to this case, and had considered the reports of the inquest. It is possible that the relieving officer may have committed an error of judgment in advising Bartlett as to obtaining work, but there is no evidence that he acted with any intentional harshness. The officer has held office for more than twenty years, during which time the Local Government Board have received no complaints with regard to him. I have, however, given a warning that he should be most careful in future to bear in mind the importance of tact and sympathy in the discharge of his duties.