130 THE PROBLEM OF THE UNEMPLOYED
tage combine with such work other important functions,
especially the ascertainment and publication of reliable
statistics relating to all forms of local industries. But the
relief work of a charitable or semi-charitable kind which
is often done by Labour Bureaux must be left to other
public or private agencies, if the Bureaux are to perform
effectively the work of Labour Exchanges.
In relation to the “ Unemployed ” the Labour Bureaux
would rank as one of the many means of increasing the
productive efficiency of the community by eliminating
certain forms of waste. Where the progress of Consumption
is such as to fully utilise every increase of productive
power the full advantage of this labour-saving system is
obtained : in a condition of industry where the labourmarket
is in general over-stocked the net gain of this
and similar forms of economy is reduced to a minimum.
§ 4. Schemes for Increasing Employment.
The different schemes the object of which is to give
increased quantity of employment might be classified in
various ways, according to the kind of work which they
seek to provide, skilled or unskilled, agricultural or manufacturing;
according to the kind of unemployment they
seek to alleviate, casual, season, or permanent; according
as they adopt voluntary or compulsory methods, State or
private enterprise ; according as they seek to enlarge
present modes of employment or to create new ones ;
according as they are generally educative or purely
industrial in their motives.
The most convenient classification for our purpose is
that which distinguishes the various proposals according
as they are intended to relieve :