CADGERS THWARTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 40, 16 February 1929, Page 10

CADGERS THWARTED.

SCHEME FOR BUSINESS MEN. SUCCESS OF CARD SYSTEM. CENTRAL DEPOT FOR RELIEF. V Professional cadgers, who prey on the generosity of business men, promise to be eliminated by a scheme that is operating in Auckland under the supervision of the Rev. C. G. Scrinigeour, of. the Methodist Mission.

Already this pestiferous band has been severely checked by applicants for relief being given cards that refer them to Mr. Scrinigeour so that their cases might be investigated. Should they prove deserving they are given every consideration by the missioner, but the undesirable type, knowing that they have been thwarted by the simple card system, invariably pursue the matter no further and merely tear up their tickets. Not only is the system, known as the Rusines~ Mens Relief Service, proving of advantage to those it is designed to assist, hut it is also making for the more efficient working of the mission.

"Fully eighty per cent of the persons who present card-; prove worthy of assistance," said Mr. Scrimgeour this morning, "and with the usual wastage stopped, we are aide to more fully meet their needs. Business men are repeatedly being called upon by persons seeking assistance, and while they have no time or convenience for dealing with such cases, they are reluctant to turn them away. without hearing their stories. This involves valuable time, and the business man has no way of testing the truth of the stories. The system which is operating, however, is .-imple and does this for them. There is no obligation on firms availing themselves of the service, but several business men who had had experience of its advantages have made substantial donations to assist the relief fund, which is to be controlled by a committee drawn from their ranks."

The scheme that is centralising relief to a large extent, has revealed the systems employed by cadgers, both male and female. Only the other day two men referred to Mr. Scrimgeour, after applying for train fare to take them to positions in the country, had their artful story disproved by the very efficient expedient of a 1/6 telegram that showed they had no work to go to. A woman, who took the trouble to write

to several firms on the one day asking for clothing and bedding for her son. "wlio was a nice bright boy of thirteen." was also proved to be an undesirable, and her literary, efforts are now on file. If cases are pennine they are placed on the mission registrar and remain there till they no lonper require assistance. Need for Co-ordination. Hitherto the card system has operated on a small scale, and Rev. .lasper (.alder states that a scheme practised by him has been in vogue for live or six years. "'For many year-," he added. "I have been moving in the direction of pettinp co-ordination amongst social workers in the city, and at present there is a scheme afoot, which, it is comes to fruition, will absolutely eliminate the professional cadger. There are probably from 200 to 300 of them in Auckland, who will ultimately have to be taken charge of by the State, that is. given indeterminate sentences and sent to farm colonies and similar institutions. Those are the people who won't work, or can't work.'' The missioner expressed alarm at the increasing number of children being sent to canvass social workers. This, he .said, was extremely bad U>r the morals of the youngsters. Families who were really up again-t it certainly tried to hide the fact from their children.