Under the Present System of Unemployment Relief there has sprung into existence a .sx DOLE MENACE .sx And the taxpayer is losing 52,000,000 a year because of it .sx Six months ago official estimates of the Ministry of Labour , certainly erring on the side of caution , showed 350,000 people drawing the dole to which they were not originally entitled .sx Since then this total has been very rapidly increasing .sx In the course of inquiries recently in London , and several provincial centres I put this question to many responsible officials in high positions in the Employment Exchange service :sx How many men and women do you think are now receiving unemployment benefit who are not entitled to it under the original scheme ?sx 52,000,000 a Year .sx The answers ranged from :sx " Certainly many more than 600,000 " .sx to .sx " Probably at least 1,250,000 .sx " A million , therefore , may be taken as a fair average representation of the official view , and there are facts which justify even this amazing opinion .sx On the average each of these may be expected to draw - with family allowances - at least 1 a week , 1,000,000 a week , or 52,000,000 a year , on this basis is the improper charge to the Insurance Fund , to the State , and ultimately to the taxpayers , caused by these unjustified claimants .sx No wonder that the Minister of Labour , Miss Bondfield , has to ask Parliament so often for powers to borrow more tens of millions of pounds for the Insurance Fund .sx Unnecessary Million .sx Why does she not devote herself instead to the not very difficult task of confining the dole to its proper recipients ?sx The answer , of course , is that she is afraid of the consequent rebellion of the left wing Socialist members and even of certain short-sighted elements in the trade union movement .sx But this will hardly seem justification to the nation now providing an unnecessary million pounds a week and depressed by the growing total of unemployment , which , by the latest return , is 2,631,212 people .sx The unnecessary millions of these is divided into two broad classes :sx Those who are improperly drawing the dole within the law as it now stands , and those who are breaking the law , their offences abetted by the difficulties and laxity of its administration - in other words , into cases of legal and illegal swindles .sx Of these the former account for by far the larger part of the total , and are comprised in two classes :sx Workpeople whose wages , too often by collusion with employers , are subsidised by the dole , and .sx Persons who have left industry for good but continue to draw the dole almost indefinitely as part of their expected weekly income .sx The Subsidy System .sx The wage subsidy system , known in official parlance as " systematic short-time , " is spreading very rapidly through many branches of industry since it began about two years ago among the South Wales dockers .sx There are many variations of it , but its simplest form is the case of an individual who works for three days a week and draws the dole for the other three .sx Another system , much in favour now in the textile trades in Northern Ireland , is the provision of work for five weeks , followed by dole drawing for one , two , or three weeks , the process thus following regular cycles .sx It was made possible by the abolition of what was known as the waiting period for the dole .sx Formerly applicants for unemployment benefit had to wait for three days before they were entitled to commence drawing the dole .sx Now this provision only applies to persons who have been in work for a period of not less than ten consecutive weeks .sx Unlimited Extension .sx This subsidy system is now in general application to dockyard labour in most British ports ; is taking a firm grip in the textile trades ; has begun to show itself extensively in the iron and steel and boot trades ; and is slightly apparent in the coal trade .sx It will be observed , however , that it is capable of almost unlimited extension in the insured trades , for , to take a broad case , if an employer can now give regular work to 500 men for a week , he can instead give work to two groups of 500 men for three days each a week , and the whole thousand , including his original 500 , will then appear as in receipt of unemployment benefit .sx The vast majority of employers , of course , are above leading themselves to practices of this kind , but it is often very difficult to resist the pressure .sx Actual cases were quoted to me in Cardiff of dock labourers earning more than 5 a week for three days work who , under this plan , were taking the dole for the other three , and it should be remembered that this system may extend - .sx Too Enthusiastic Women .sx By URSULA BLOOM .sx The trouble with my sex is that they will persist in going too far .sx While they persevere in their doctrine of the whole hog they will never be entirely successful .sx They will cope with the male outlook on the same mental plane .sx Women deliberately overwork .sx Not only do they overwork , but they absorb themselves entirely in that work , so that it encroaches on their playtime .sx They permit themselves no relaxation whatsoever .sx A man will work for ten hours , fling down his occupation , stride out into the world and seek a change .sx The moment his office door has slammed to on his cares , that is the end of them for him .sx The result is that his playtime is a tonic , and he returns to his occupation completely refreshed .sx Personal Matter .sx A woman cannot do this in the same way .sx Her work is far more a personal matter , and she clings whole-heartedly to it .sx Even in her time away from it she is for ever brooding upon its possibilities .sx If she is engaged in an intellectual occupation , then she spends her time in making intellectual friends , whose conversation will react on her work .sx She reads books on her subject .sx She goes to the right type of plays and devours them hungrily .sx All the many freedoms of life which are a man's relaxation still remain the woman's task .sx She is absorbed in it .sx It is quite useless to try to segregate her from this , because her mind runs continually in those channels .sx Light Chatter .sx A woman is far more occupied with the personal element in life .sx She applies all conversations to herself .sx Her attitude is the attitude of a circling wheel , and the hub of that wheel is her own ego .sx Listen to her talking .sx Within five minutes you know whether she is career-crazy , or is obsessed by a husband , or wrapped up in a home .sx Each of these may possess her .sx Whatever light chatter turns up , she skilfully steers the conversation back to her own trouble with the maids , or the difficulties of catering , or her particular groove .sx She adapts the conversation to herself , whereas the male adapts himself to the conversation .sx There is a subtle difference .sx If a woman is in love then she drags that love everywhere with her because it is part of herself .sx A career or a home occupies her in exactly the same manner .sx Whatever a woman does she does whole-hoggedly , from falling in love to having babies and to leading a career .sx By her over-enthusiasm a woman spoils herself .sx Until she sees fit to alter this feminine characteristic and makes a whole-heated effort to conquer the desire to absorb herself entirely in her one interest and to take it everywhere with her , she cannot expect to get the best out of that interest .sx She is spinning round in a circle and gaining nothing by it .sx The old motto " All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy " makes Jill a dull girl too .sx AN END TO THE GLOOMY OUTLOOK .sx I have just been speaking to a friend of mine who is the owner of a big motor works .sx I asked the usual question .sx " How are you getting on ?sx " " Well , you know , " he began , then stopped and laughed .sx " No , I'm not going to grouse .sx " " Everybody does .sx " I remarked encouragingly .sx " No one has a penny , everyone is on the verge of bankruptcy , all our shares are down , the shops are nearly empty , yet you can hardly get along the road for cars , and certain shops are paying 30 per cent .sx , and there still are theatres you cannot get into without booking tickets months ahead .sx Are things really quite as bad as some of us say ?sx " Power of Thought .sx " In some trades they are , " he said , " and the chief thing we want now to buck things up , not only in this country but all over the world , is a wave of hope and happiness .sx " I agreed .sx " We don't any of us realise the illimitable power of thought , " he said .sx " We've got into a bad rut .sx We British are always pretty good at grousing , especially about our own affairs , and once we get down we have great difficulty in getting up again .sx We are in this rut , and we're prepared to stick in it .sx " " Only two things will take us out of it - spending and advertising .sx You needn't smile .sx It sounds as though I wanted to boost my business , and so I do , of course ; but I want to boost all other businesses too , and only circulating money and advertising will do it .sx " I am sure he was right , but I go a step farther .sx We want good salesmanship as well .sx I am told that the great stories originally arose in answer to a demand .sx They were needed because of the way local shops ignored the desires of local shoppers .sx Sometimes they ignore them still .sx Bad Salesmanship .sx The other day my husband went into a shop where he has dealt for many years .sx He wanted a particular kind of garment .sx The man who usually served him was not there and he asked a young salesman .sx " We don't keep those now , " he was told .sx " I like that kind , " said my husband .sx " I never wear them myself , " answered the salesman .sx That settled it .sx No offer was made to try to get it .sx Nothing more was said , and my husband left the shop in high dudgeon .sx I suggested my pet store , and he not only got what he wanted , but received so much courtesy and consideration that he has transferred his allegiance to the " men's department .sx " That was not youth , modern manners , or independence .sx It was bad salesmanship .sx But salesmanship only touches on one of the remedies for world-wide depression .sx Hope .sx .sx .sx There is another remedy .sx We need to raise our hearts , to put aside misgivings , and encourage the hope that will lead us to success .sx All the world over we are filling our subconscious minds with pictures of financial woe and misery .sx Many of us are reaping the untoward material results of the thoughts we have indulged in since the war .sx Few of us realise the dynamic force of thought or we should not give way to such pessimism .sx Hope is an essential of supreme value to us .sx If , instead of dwelling so deeply and also so openly on " hard times , " we were to concentrate our minds on the opulence of nature , the glorious myriads of stars in the sky , the endless sand grains , the glorious and bountiful superabundance of seed and fruit and blossom , we should feel the riches that lie around us and hope we would be renewed and endeavour strengthened .sx We should at least be a step farther on the road to prosperity .sx I believe if we all started thinking upwards instead of downwards the financial status of the world would slowly but surely improve .sx Ask any business man if he does not agree with me .sx HOLLYWOOD HYPOCRISY OVER BRITISH FILMS .sx By W. A. MUTCH .sx Several important events in the film world make it fitting to explain , with the utmost frankness , the attitude of the United States towards the British film industry .sx In particular , there is the report of the Canadian Board of Film Censors .sx This vigorous and statesman-like document comments with splendid candour on the domination of the United States in the world of pictures .sx