CITY'S SOCIAL WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 190, 13 August 1928, Page 8

CITY'S SOCIAL WORK.

HELPING THE UNEMPLOYED.

THE PARNELL SHELTER. THE HOMELY TOUCH.'' Filling a gap at short notice, owing to the non-arrival at the Rotary Club of Sir Truby King, Canon Cowen gave a stirring address to Rotarians on social work in the city. Commencing in complimentary vein, the speaker referred to the fact that each member of the Rotary Club on his birthday accepted as an obligation to pay £1. This was placed to the credit of a fund which helped to provide presents for the children of poor parents at Christmas time. As one who brought -U0 children along at that happy period he was pleased to be able to acknowledge his appreciation of this annual gift.

Referring to the work which had been done to assi-t people who were out of employment, Canon Cowen said the shelter opened at I'arnell had been something more than a mere lodging-house. It was a place where the "down and outs"' could receive bed, supper and breakfast as well as practical sympathy. On the first night the .shelter was opened ■'17 were present; on Saturday there had been IW.

Fifty per cent were men who had come in from the country, this being the slack time, a nil the men needed assistance to tide them over the time. Surely every person was entitled to shelter and food. That the shelter was economically conducted would be recognised when it was mentioned that the average cost of each bed and meal was 2]d each. All endeavour was made to obtain employment, and sometimes blankets were given to men who had a job to go to in the country. Boots were provided to those who needed them. These and similar gifts were made possible by the "drive" of the Commercial Travellers' Association. Possibly 50 per cent of the inmates were pernianents, the remainder transients. So long as present conditions exi-ted there would be some who would endeavour to obtain assistance of the kind mentioned. An endeavour was made at the shelter to give a homely touch to the surroundings. Community singing was arranged, and all that could be done to restore the moral, depressed as the almost inevitable accompaniment of unemployment, was done. It was not intended to keep open after September, when milking and other farm work would again be general, as it was not desired that anyone should look upon the in-titution as a permanent refuge. The Little Children. The speaker then proceeded to outline the social work that was being done on behalf of children whose parents were indigent. He said that Auckland had been singularly fortunate in the public spiritcdness of its citizens, and he made special reference to the gift of the Brett family of the homestead at Takapuna for the benefit of destitute children. No Ijigher memorial could he imagined, to the memory of a great man than the gift of one of God's most beautiful spots to benefit the lives of innocent children, whose lot in life had been cast in sordid [daces. It was a gift that would forever speak in the lives of those girls, who would be the mothers of the future. With Rotarian C. F. Bennett he had during recent weeks been engaged in a campaign to collect t'-000 to build lodges and bathrooms and other facilities necessary to complete the purpose of the gift. He looked forward to the time when 120 girls taken from unsavory surrounding to be trained there under the most glorious environment, would learn from the flower.-, beautiful scenes, and proper treatment, the best that could be learned iu life.

The response -o far had been encouraging. and he had no doubt the amount required would be obtained. One interesting card .-ent in from a hotelkeeper had seventy signatures for threepence each, from which he concluded that each customer who ordered a drink was at the same time -tampeded for 3d to help the children's fund.