In addition to the foregoing measures, the Lewis District Committee initiated relief work schemes of (a) road re-surfacing and reconstruction of bridges, with assistance from the Ministry of Transport, and (b) road extension, aided by the Board of Agriculture. Another scheme for the repair of unclassified roads was projected by the District Committee, but the financial difficulties, even with the assistance of the Unemployment Grants Committee, had not been overcome by the close of the year. Harris District Committee had in hand a road extension scheme, aided by the Board of Agriculture, and the construction of a new road with Government and private assistance. Consideration of a second new road scheme was proceeding at the end of 1923. South Uist District Committee, having obtained the promise of a grant from the Ministry of Transport, proposed to proceed with the repair and improvement of roads in their area.

Unlike previous years, distress in 1923 was not confined to the Hebrides. Reports by officers of the Board of Agriculture indicated that the failure of the potato crop and the part failure of other crops, both grain and roots, affected other parts of the Highlands. We obtained confirmation of this from reports obtained from our General Superintendents, who made special enquiry into the conditions prevailing and the probable extent of distress in the western and northern parts of Argyllshire, Ross-shire, Sutherland, Caithness and in Skye. Distress was accentuated in some instances by the absence of fuel through the failure of crofters and others to get their peats dried before the wet weather set in. Generally the results of the enquiry by our officers revealed that, though the conditions on the mainland were worse than in normal years on account of the inclement weather of 1923, the amount of distress was neither so extensive nor so acute as in the Outer Hebrides. It was thought that distress that might emerge during the winter in Skye, in Ross-shire, in Sutherland and elsewhere would be met to a great extent by the grant of assistance in the purchase of seed potatoes and seed oats under a scheme which the Board of Agriculture had in contemplation at the close of the year.

In conjunction with the Board of Agriculture and the Fishery Board, we took occasion to ascertain the exact meteorological conditions in the West of Scotland during the summer in order that the relation of these conditions to the social and economic effects might be considered. The authorities of the Meteorological Office readily co-operated in this matter and furnished what information was at their disposal. Memoranda were prepared by Dr. Crichton Mitchell, Superintendent of the Edinburgh Meteorological Office, Mr. J. M. Ramsay of the Board of Agriculture, Commander Fisher of the Fishery Board, and Sir Leslie Mackenzie. We print in the Appendix XXIV. extracts from Sir Leslie Mackenzie's memorandum, together with a general summary of the information contained in the four memoranda. (Appendix XXV).

VOLUNTARY FUNDS FOR THE RELIEF OF DISTRESS IN THE

HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS.

Towards the close of the year appeals for assistance were made by the Lords-Lieutenants for the counties of Ross and Inverness and other local representative persons for funds to relieve distress in their

own areas. Similar appeals were also issued by various Highland societies and associations and by some of the churches. About the close of the year the Lords Provost of Edinburgh and Glasgow, after consultation with us, were on the point of issuing appeals on behalf of the distressed parts of the Highlands. Those who had organised local appeals were generally willing to merge all funds into the two central funds proposed to be instituted by the Lords Provost and administered by a central committee, on which all districts were to be represented. By thus centralising administration and co-ordinating effort it was expected that the danger of overlapping would be avoided, and that the funds would be applied to the districts where assistance was most required. The various Scottish Departments were ready to agree to make available all information in their possession to the central committee when it was set up to administer the voluntary funds.

RELIEF OF DEPENDANTS OF LITHUANIANS AND OTHER

RUSSIAN SUBJECTS.

As stated in our Report for 1922, the Treasury Grant in aid of the dependants of Russians who were sent to Russia for military service under the provisions of the Anglo-Russian Military Service Convention, 1917, ceased on the 31st March 1923.

In accordance with Treasury instructions, we made lump sum payments in final liquidation of the Government's liability for the maintenance of such persons to three parishes where it was shown. that the annual liability to the parish resulting from the withdrawal of the Grant would exceed the produce of a poor rate of one penny. The payments so made were approximately equal to two years' grant on the basis of the number of women and children chargeable to the parish at 31st March, excluding any who had accepted the offer of repatriation at Government expense. The total amount so paid was £5450.

All the Lithuanian women who accepted the Government's offer of free repatriation have now been repatriated. During the year we repatriated 6 women and 15 children, making a total of 240 women and 587 children repatriated under the scheme.

In addition to the women of Lithuanian nationality, three Russian women expressed a desire to be repatriated under the scheme to Soviet Russia, and we are at present endeavouring to arrange for their repatriation.

Old Age Pensions and Pensions to Blind Persons.

APPEALS.

Old Age Pensions.

We received during the year from pension officers and claimants 2459 appeals, making a total of 34,200 since the Old Age Pensions Act. 1908, came into force.

Of the 2459 appeals received up to the end of the year, 2187 were decided by the 31st December. Including the 342 appeals outstanding at the beginning of the year, the total number of appeals which we decided during the year amounted to 2529. There were 272 appeals outstanding at the end of the year.

The following table shows how the 2529 appeals were disposed of:

Of the 2529 appeals which we decided, 170 referred to "questions" raised by pension officers and pensioners, i.e. cases in which the former considered that the pension should be revoked or decreased, and the latter considered that the pension should be increased.

The following table shows the grounds on which the questions were raised, and the manner in which the appeals were disposed of by us. The questions were practically all raised on the ground of means:

Blind Persons.

The number of appeals which we received during the year was 252, making a total of 929 since the Blind Persons Act, 1920, came into force.

Of the 252 appeals received up to the end of the year, 210 were decided by the 31st December. Including the 35 appeals outstanding at the beginning of the year, the total number which we decided. amounted to 245. There were 42 appeals outstanding at the end of the year.

The following table shows how the 245 appeals were disposed of:

Included in the above were 2 "questions," both on the ground of means. One was decided in favour of the pensioner, and the other against.

Welfare of the Blind.

SCHEMES UNDER SECTION 2 OF THE BLIND PERSONS ACT, 1920.

Since the passing of the Act, the schemes of 55 local authorities have been approved by us. An increasing interest is manifested by local authorities in the administration of the schemes now in operation, and local authorities, education authorities and voluntary agencies are co-operating more closely in this sphere of work.

Negotiations for a combination of local authorities in the northeast of Scotland, which would now appear to have fallen through, have delayed the submission of schemes by the local authorities of Aberdeen Burgh, and the Counties of Aberdeen, Banff, Kincardine and Shetland. Aberdeen County has now submitted a scheme for

our approval. We regret that in addition the following local authorities have failed to submit schemes for our approval:

Counties of West Lothian, Midlothian, Selkirk, Wigtown and the Burgh of Lerwick.

GRANTS IN AID OF THE WELFARE OF THE BLIND.

During the year grants amounting to £14,000 were paid to voluntary agencies for the blind. The following statement shows the amounts paid in respect of the various services:

CENTRAL REGISTER OF THE BLIND.

Statistics prepared from the Central Register as on the 1st April last still continue to show a considerable increase in the number of registered blind persons in Scotland. The number of blind persons on the Central Register who are not on the roll of any voluntary agency has decreased appreciably in the course of the year.

The statistics showed that there were 5754 blind persons in Scotland on the Central Register, an increase of 239 in the year. Of these 388 were children under 16 years of age, of whom 17 were under 5 years of age, 294 were attending school, 49 were stated to be ineducable by reason of mental or physical incapacity, and 28 were returned as not at school, though presumably fit to receive education.

The number of blind persons shown as employed in the industrial workshops of the various institutions in Scotland was 536, comprising 381 males and 155 females, a decrease of 1 male and 12 females as compared with last year. There were 247 blind persons returned as under training in institutions for the blind, an increase of 16, and 855 men shown as employed otherwise than in institutions an increase of 12. The trainable class still numbers 191, but only 171-a decrease of 9. -were shown as willing to enter an institution for training.

We are still in close co-operation with the Scottish Education Department in regard to the education and training of all capable blind persons.

HOME TEACHERS.

In conjunction with the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Welfare of the Blind and the College of Teachers of the Blind, we