In this country the traditional method of alleviating distress resulting from unemployment has been by Poor Law relief administered by Boards of Guardians. During 1920 and 1921, many persons who were uninsured and faced with destitution, and many persons who, though insured, found the benefit insufficient for the maintenance of themselves and their families, came to the Guardians for relief. There were three times as many people in receipt of out-door relief during the winter of 1921-22 as there were in 1915, and two and a half times as many as in 1910. This has necessitated the raising of large sums by Guardians and heavy increases in the Poor Law element in local rates. The administration of out-door relief under circumstances such as the present is a matter of the greatest difficulty. Guardians are, not unnaturally, disposed on humane grounds to give relief on as generous a scale as possible, which varies according to the Guardians’ views and the district. On the other hand, this results in heavy charges on ratepayers, and a preference in many of the able-bodied recipients for doles instead of work, and possibly thereby an aggravation of unemployment. The general supervision of the work of the Guardians falls to the Ministry of Health, and that Department has undoubtedly discharged that invidious duty with judgment and efficiency. Principles Governing Administration of Relief By a circular letter dated December 29, 1920, the Minister of Health directed the attention of Guardians to the fact that under Article 12 of the Relief Regulation Order, 1911, they could not grant outdoor relief on a wholesale scale, or depart from the standard prescribed by that article unless under special circumstances—they were, therefore, bound to examine into the special circumstances of each particular case, and report to him any departure from the ordinary practice. This was a most necessary admonition in view of the amount being distributed from State funds in the shape of out-of-work donation and pensions. Again, by Circular 240 dated September 8, 1921, the Minister of Health reverted to this important matter and indicated the rules which, in his opinion, and that of the Association of Poor Law Unions, should govern the administration of relief. The first was that as Poor Law relief should be restricted to what was necessary to relieve distress, the amount thereof should be calculated on a lower scale than the earnings of the independent workman maintaining himself by his own labour. I need hardly stop to criticize the Labour contention that the relief should be of no less amount than the full Trade Union rate of wages of the recipient—it would be as demoralizing to the recipient as it would be disastrous to the community. The second rule was that no relief should be given without full investigation of the circumstances of each applicant, obtaining from the latter a signed statement of the total income of the household from all sources.