UNEMPLOYMENT IN 1921 By Jeremy Knight, Curator, Horsham Museum & Art Gallery
W
e are currently seeing a rise in unemployment caused by the impact of COVID-19. Interestingly, 100 years ago, the impact of
Spanish Flu and the post-war depression had a similar effect. In the 1920s the Urban District Council, which was a lot smaller back then, focused its efforts on what it could do rather than try to address issues beyond its control. Therefore, the Council focused its attention on
the Council would include the provision of manual
the unemployed. Until that time there were no real
labouring work for unemployed people. This focus on
structures or policies in place to deal with the issue of
employment carried itself through to the Census of 1921
unemployment. If the unemployed were paupers they
as reported on in The County Times below:
would have turned to the workhouse, but there was no
“The main changes (to the census) are the dropping of
support for the able bodied looking for work, or for ex-
questions as to blindness, deafness, dumbness, and lunacy,
soldiers. To address this the Council set up a committee to
and the addition of questions relating to employment. In
look into the issue of unemployment and find work for
the coming census it will not be enough to state the
those affected.
occupation, but particulars will be required of the kind of
The first meeting of the committee took place on 3
work done, of material worked in, and of articles made or
January 1921. At the meeting a letter was read from the
dealt in, and also the place of work. Employees are asked
Government’s Unemployment Grants Committee Privy
to give the names of their present employers. It also asked
Council referring to provision of funds to assisting Local
whether persons are occupied in either full-time or part-
Authorities in creating work that could be done by the
time attendance at an educational institution.”
unemployed. Unfortunately the town was ill prepared for
The town suffered a further blow when, in October
this and so the matter was adjourned. That didn’t mean
1921, it was reported that the Ministry of Health had sent
that there was no work or schemes available but that the
round a circular stating how the government’s financial
suggestions put forward by the Special Unemployment
proposals to reduce unemployment would work. The
Committee were too small-scale in approach and
town had to have a certain number in order to attract the
direction. For example, one suggested scheme was the
financial support and Horsham, after submitting its
cleaning and puddling of the river and stream, as well as
application, was told it failed to qualify for a certificate
clearing the underwood at the farm in High Wood. The
stating that it had “serious unemployment in the urban
cleaning of the river and stream would have taken 3 or 4
area”. As a result Horsham had to finance its own
men some time with the cost being offset by selling the
unemployment schemes. The town’s charities went to
timber, and clearing the wood could have provided
work to support their neighbours. One example was the
employment for 8 or 10 men for 3 months and
Borough Band who held a fund raising concert, as shown
considerable revenue would have been raised by sale of
in the poster from Horsham Museum’s collections. The
underwood. The unemployed would have been paid the
concert was followed by the Horsham Unemployed Relief
same rate as general labourers, or the rate set for farm
Committee’s Flag Day on 5 November. Flag days were a
workers by the Agricultural Board. This programme of
popular form of fund raising. People bought a flag to
works for Horsham’s unemployed would culminate 13
visibly show support for the cause and contribute to the
years later with the opening of the town swimming pool.
fund. The newly formed poppy appeal followed the same
From now on virtually any scheme of work identified by
principle. The town used the very same methods that
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MARCH/APRIL 2021
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