Money has been allocated by the Government to assist schemes of land improvement, drainage and farm water-supplies so as to provide employment for agricultural workers, also forestry schemes and light railways:
| Ministry of Agriculture: | £ |
| Land Drainage | 388,000 |
| Of this £113,000 is recoverable from drainage boards and landowners. | |
| Farm water-supplies | 9,600 |
| The balance of cost, £18,600, is borne by landowners. | |
| Scottish Board of Agriculture: | |
| Land Drainage (half cost of schemes) | 21,000 |
| Forestry Commission: | |
| Unemployment schemes in addition to the normal estimates | 206,000 |
| Additional expenditure thereon by landowners and local authorities | 141,000 |
In the sum of £5,500,000 set aside during the winter 1921-22 for general unemployment relief, provision was made for assistance to approved light railway schemes. Up to June, 1922, two such schemes had been approved for grants from the Treasury equal to half the total cost, subject to maximum grants of £162,500 in all.
From time to time steps have been taken to assist in relieving the situation by special measures operating in Government industrial establishments. A short-time system was introduced into War Office and Admiralty establishments to spread employment. The highest number of additional men thus engaged was 9,900. No additional men are now employed. Alternative work, e.g. waggon repairing, manufacture of medals, coin-blanks, locomotives, new wagons and miscellaneous articles for the Post Office and for private firms, has been carried out in War Office and Admiralty establishments. The highest number of men employed thereon was 8,800. The Office of Works undertook an emergency programme of decorative and repair work in Government Departments during the winter 1920-21, when the highest number of additional men thus engaged was 2,600. During the winter 1921-22, this Department also undertook relief work in the Royal Parks, the highest number of additional men employed on this work being 390. The expenditure in both classes of scheme was about £127,000. The sum of £563,000 was also set aside during the winter 1921-22 for accelerating Government contracts whereby employment was found for some 600 men.
Summary of National Expenditure
As between the Armistice and May 19, 1922, there has been devoted to the relief of unemployment out of public funds the total sum of £281,216,460, under the following heads:
| 1. | Granted by Government: | £ | |
| (1) | Unemployment Relief Works | 26,819,600 | |
| (2) | Out-of-Work Donation and Unemployment Benefit | 144,000,000 | |
| (3) | Resettlement Training | } 31,972,000 | |
| Civil Liabilities | |||
| Overseas Settlement | |||
| (4) | Export Credits Scheme | 26,000,000 | |
| (5) | Guarantee of Loans | 25,000,000 | |
| (6) | Accelerated Government Contracts | 563,000 | |
| (7) | Land Settlement of Ex-Service Men | 1,523,860 | |
| (8) | Loans to County Councils for Small Holdings for Ex-Service Men | 12,269,000 | |
| 268,147,460 | |||
| 2. | Appropriations from Non-Government Sources: | ||
| (1) | Contributions by Local Authorities to 1 (1) above | 12,694,000 | |
| (2) | Contributions from National Relief Fund to 1 (3) above | 375,000 | |
| £281,216,460 | |||
In addition, local authorities have initiated, without Government assistance, relief works on which, between the commencement of trade depression in September 1920, and May 19, 1922, an aggregate of wages of at least £450,000 has been paid. Guardians have during the same period expended at least £60,000,000 on out-door relief. The above figures exclude the temporary loans by the Ministry of Health to embarrassed Guardians.
The really critical time in regard to unemployment will be the forthcoming winter, 1922-23. Trade Union out-of-work benefits have shrunk and dwindled through lack of funds. Homes and furniture, utensils, etc., with two winters’ hard times have wasted down to the bare bone, clothing is worn out, and there is little or no reserve of resources; in some districts conditions fill one with apprehension. Added to the natural gravity—social and economic—of the situation, is the quite definite attempt of the Communists to exploit subterraneously these unhappy circumstances for revolutionary purposes.