Scotland in the nineteenth century

14. Poverty and relief measures

Section 14.6: Unemployment

"to consider and report as to: a) the extent to which distress, arising from want of employment prevails; b) the powers at present possessed by local or central authorities in relation to such cases; c) any steps which may be taken, whether by changes in legislation or administration, to deal with the evils arising therefrom; and d) to make an interim report to the House at the earliest possible date on what steps should be taken ... to meet the distress this winter."

Out-door trades in particular were affected by the severe winter of 1894-95, causing unemployment. A circular letter was issued to town and district councils to ascertain which districts were badly affected, whether the distress was caused by the severe weather or local circumstances, whether there was a register of the unemployed and what local authorities and voluntary agencies were doing to relieve the distress. Schemes for the creation of employment were considered but no recommendations made.

James Keir Hardie, a member of the Committee, said that there were 8,000 unemployed and 5,000 destitute families in Glasgow (pp. 68-98), and that frost had severely affected the building and shipbuilding trades, leaving large numbers unemployed around the Clyde. The bad weather had also caused an increase in the deathrate which had doubled in Glasgow. Special relief committees had been set up all over the country and the £8,500 raised by voluntary contributions in Glasgow was being used to run soup-kitchens, and buy food and clothing.

In evidence contained in the third report of the Committee, James Morton, Chairman of the Unemployed Executive Committee of West Ham pointed out that under the Poor Law (Scotland) Act, 1845 no out-door relief was given to the able-bodied in Scotland. He had heard instances of people in Dundee inflicting wounds on themselves to make them unfit for work, and he thought it imperative that the law should be amended (p. 452).

James Bell, Lord Provost of Glasgow, gave evidence on the relief works instituted by the Corporation of Glasgow and the distress fund set up by the citizens (pp. 232-246). Many people donated money, fuel, food and clothing which was distributed to the most needy by the police, whilst 11 soup-kitchens had been set up in the city.

A.J. Hunter, Secretary of the Glasgow Trades Council, gave evidence on the payments made by the trades unions during the distress, and the soup-kitchens set up by the Gaiety and Scotia Theatres. He felt the distress was exacerbated by the influx of Russian Poles, Highlanders and the Irish, and the Scottish coal strike of 1894, which he felt could have been averted by the use of Conciliation Boards.

Appendix 17: Statement of the Lord Provost of Glasgow regarding relief works, 1895 (pp. 514-521).

Appendix 32: Replies to a circular sent to local authorities in Scotland on the causes of local distress (pp. 565-800).