"THE POOR YE HAVE ALWAYS."

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 222, 18 September 1924, Page 7

"THE POOR YE HAVE ALWAYS."

POSITION IN AUCKLAND. FACTORS IN THE PROBLEM. OPINIONS OF THOSE WHO. KNOW. '■' So many old men—yes, and women —are walking about from door to door begging, or selling trivial things." Why is it? What is Auckland's position as far as her poor are concerned? Is the position worse than in previous years, is it the same, or is it improving? " These are questions that are continually being asked in Auckland at present. They are the direct outcome of what ■ would appear to be a band of unfortunates who have flung themselves upon ' the community for support. Day after day suburban housewives attend to the visits of old men who ask for a little "work (most of them would collapse if given it) or beg for a meal, or ask one to buy all sorts of small things, ranging from collar-studs to mussels. And hundreds of genuine cases we never hear .about. Some of the visitors tell tales - of misfortune, of having seen better times; others of having suffered more .than their share of the world's hardships. And others again can give .no apparent reason for their position in life. So inquiries were made amongst those people who give their time to attending to the poor and needy of our city. They were asked for their opinions on the situation as a whole. In no case was it said that the condition of things was-any worse than it had been previously, but the information was given that there is much poverty rife. The influx of people to the towns, their dis- ■ inclination to take good work that is offering in the country, wife desertion, sheer hard luck, laziness, . were amongst the reasons assigned, but all informants were unanimous that the greatest of all Khe contributing ■ agencies for a great proportion of the • poverty of this city was the high rents at present existing. Adjutant Gordon, of the Salvation . Army Samaritan Workers, who is re- ■ garded as possessing the best knowledge of the darker side of this town, was first turned to for guidance on the subject. "People are flocking in from the country to the town," she said, "and • they will not go out again. ' There are ■ farm hands wanted—and we cannot get ■ them. There are domestics wanted. We i get girls good positions—some stay bat others leave. They have nothing, and -. will not work for anything. There has been such an enormous amount of dishonesty amongst young women em•pioyees that would-be employees will ' not risk taking girls into their homes. There is a spirit of unrest existing." "Then rents," continued the Adjutant, and she told how difficult it was for families to live on a small wage with, a ; : big rent overshadowing them and eating up the greater part of the earnings of the person on whom, their very existence "depends. "Something will have. to be . done, and until it is done -we - must expect—we -will continue having—more poor than we .would have otherwise." Touching on the degenerates and the vagrants who ultimately find themselves in the police court dock, Adjutant Gordon said: "Yon have no idea how much, has been done. for. many of-those people before they are brought up." p 'An outstanding member, of the , Benevolent Society, Mrs." Tolhurst, was asked for her -_ opinion.. ' She, too, stressed the rent question. : '*The rente arc-so abnormal that there are many poor people who can hare no home.life. »t all," she said. "We have women struggling to bring up their families, and at the same time paying £2 per week for houses that they;, would have previously got for 14/." * "I do not think, however> that' the' position is worse than previously," said Mrs- Tolhurst. "It- is -about ■ the same. Wife desertion is a factor to be considered. Hen are ordered by the magistrates to pay so much to the wives they, .have deserted. There the matter often .ends, and unless the women bring the matter before "the Court from time to . time' they are lelt to their own reEources. Then we have many old women who have nothing, but will not go to the homes. They dread the discipline. - They would rather live in poverty, and be able to, walk about and ' see the faces and shops, or' visit their -children. That is'their idea of happiness. The Benevolent Society has ' about one hundred people on its books. .Old age pensioners, for instance, who get 15/ per week, find-that inadequate! to pay the rent and at the same time buy anything else. "We-, supplement their pensions by 5/, and they find that a. great help. An extra 5/.a week is everything to these people. The winter months are always . the worst.J labourers lose so mtich" work, and,- with 1 I things so dear, they, have a struggle to "There are a few isolated .. cases-^-1 ■hocking by various things, but the position • is- practically i the same," concluded Sirs. Tolhurst. The secretary of the Charitable Aid Board, who also said . "Rent increases cause the trouble,". supplied some very interesting figures,; which show.' to what extent the funds of the society have-been taxed during, the year. The total number of rations issued in the «ty, saburiber and Onehunga in 1323-24 was"22i,*46, a decrease on those of previous- years. The average number "of" rations per day was 61-5. The: average . number .of persons receiving :■ relief ■was 1488, another slight decreaseThfi cash allowance for. food and rent "was £6075 14/3, an increase on thepretious two years.: The cost of rations, in the" city, suburbs, and Onehnnga was £eO.IQ 6/6,: a. small decrease,,!while the cost of rations in outdistricts was £1704 10/1, an increase.. . "This Board does not keep - the [ poor on its books—it merely helps them with their rents, but it expects those "who receive, alms to supplement them. We believe in throwing them, on.'their own. initiative. That may account for some of those who go about selling things." J And, so far as those-who beg fromjlpor to door are, concerned,' the general! opinion is that they are either unforta-; nate persons who' lose their possessions^! but. retain, "at least, a : little pride-—it 1 keeps them from institutions and homes: j "I" am ~not going: to any .home while-1 can walk and do a little work," said oneold man, asking for a, meal at the ibaefc door of an Epsom house the other day. That seems to be .the essence of it all. Bat those wher know" state- that; others, again, may he persons well able to work", -who are doins nofiiing more -than " t spbnging r Von their fellow men.