Following on this resolution came an attempt to deal with the question through the machinery of the Poor Law. By the Relief (School Children) Order,[134] issued in April, 1905, the Guardians were empowered to grant relief to the child of an able-bodied man without requiring him to enter the workhouse or perform the outdoor labour test.[135] Any relief so given was to be on loan if the case was one of habitual neglect, and might be so given in any case at the discretion of the Guardians.[136] Except with the special sanction of the Local Government Board proceedings were always to be taken to recover the cost.[137] The children of widows and of wives not living with their husbands were expressly excluded from the scope of the order.[138] The reason for this omission was that these children could already be dealt with by the Guardians and that, therefore, no further sanction was needed, but this was not clearly explained by the Local Government Board, and was indeed not generally understood.[139] It was recommended that, where charitable organisations existed, the Guardians should make arrangements with them for the supply of food; in other cases an arrangement might be made with a local shopkeeper.[140] A circular issued by the Board of Education to the Local Education Authorities, explaining how these authorities could co-operate with the Guardians in carrying out the order, classified underfed children under three heads:--(1) those whose parents were permanently impoverished; (2) those whose parents through illness, loss of employment, or other unavoidable causes were temporarily unable to provide for them; (3) those whose parents, though capable of making provision, had neglected to do so. It was suggested that the second of these groups of cases should be left to the voluntary agencies, the first and third being dealt with by the Guardians.[141] Footnote 134: For a description of the working of this order see the Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws, 1909, 8vo. edition, Vol. III., pp. 160-162. Footnote 135: Relief (School Children) Order, 1905, Article V. (in 35th Report of Local Government Board, 1905-6, p. 322). Footnote 136: _Ibid._, Article II., sec. 2. Footnote 137: _Ibid._, Article VI. Whether the amount was recovered or not the parent became a pauper, and was disfranchised. Footnote 138: _Ibid._, Article VII. Footnote 139: