470 president's address — section gi. 



" the modern system of industry will not work without some un- 

 employed margin, some reserve of labour, but the margin in London 

 to-day seems to be exaggerated in every department and enor- 

 mously so in the lowest class of labour." The eternal question of 

 wages — the same question that Jacob bargained over and that 

 vexed those who stood idle in the market place in the parable of our 

 Lord — governs unemployment to a large extent. On the one hand 

 the employer always likes ten men to be offering for nine jobs ; the 

 employee prefers nine jobs ready for eight men, and the scale of 

 wages differs accordingly. Whether wages boards will solve this 

 part of the question remains to be seen. The crux seems to lie in 

 the difficulty of comparing the worth of different pieces of work or 

 the value of one industry as against another. And as long as wages 

 are based not on a definite principle but on an arbitrary agreement 

 grounded solely on the conditions obtaining in one industry without 

 reference to the great field comprising all related industries, so long 

 will unrest and dissatisfaction survive every Wages Board deter- 

 mination. 



Great Britain s Experiment. — We pass from a study of principles 

 and data to consider, in conclusion, the most important document 

 ever issued on the question of unemployment, namely the recent 

 report of the English Poor Law Commission issued in 1909. There 

 were two reports — a majorit}- and a minorit}^ report. But both 

 agree on these points : — 



To abolish general workhouses ; 



To abolish the Boards of Guardians ; 



To give separate treatment to the aged, the weak, the able- 

 bodied unemployed, and the loafer ; 



To detain the vagrants in colonies ; 



To initiate labour exchanges ; 



To discourage or prevent boy labour. 



With regard to unemployment the majority report states : — 



There should be national labour exchanges, giving workmen 

 cheap fares to get to work. 



Institutional workshops should be created to train and main- 

 tain applicants with a good record and a decent home. 



Education in elementary schools should be less literary and 

 more practical, boys being kept till the age of 15. 



There should be more physical drill. 



Parents should be guided by a special organisation to find 

 other than casual Work for boys. 



Unemployment insurance should be established in conjunc- 

 tion with trades unions, friendly societies, etc., and helped 

 by contributions from public funds. 



Government and public authorities should regulise work 

 and give out their irregular work at slack times. 



