CHARITABLE AID.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 244, 15 October 1929, Page 5

CHARITABLE AID.

HIGHER ALLOWANCES SOUGHT

HIKUBANGI FAMILY'S CASE.

DIFFICULTIES OF BOARD. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WHANGAREI, this day. The Whangarei Hospital Board yesterday received a deputation ;from the Hikurangi Miners' Union, concerning charitable aid. The deputation specially stressed the case of a sick man, his wife and five children, who were granted only fl a week, the equivalent, as one spokesman put it, of lid per meal. They contended that if this had been the only source of sustenance the family, would have died of starvation. | The miners said they considered charitable aid should be distributed in large enough amounts to maintain a decent living standard. Some amounts that were being given would not keep body and soul together. One of the deputation, who said that he had experience, remarked that the able unemployed in the Old Country received better charitable aid than New Zealanders. The Miners' Union was always prepared to assist such necessitous cases, but it wished to know whether the contributions , from this source were considered by the board in allocating relief. Fellow-employees would be loath to subscribe to funds if their action might affect the amount received from the Charitable Aid Board. The deputation also asked for information concerning a rumour that the board's inspector had advised one family to sell the house they were living in, buy a smaller one, and use /the difference to live on. The inspector emphatically denied having given such advice, saying he told one person that if he wished to recover from rheumatism he should sell out and leave Hikurangi.' With reference to the first case mentioned, the chairman said that the board understood the man was earning as much as £6 a fortnight, and he always had work to go to when he was well enough. The man was first granted 30/, and that amount Avas reduced when the inspector made inquiries. Every source of revenue was investigated, and contributions were made according to needs. In all his experience, the inspector said, he had never known any family to be actually hungry in Whangarei. Mrs. Donaldson said she considered the board should work on a definite scale of assistance, while retaining; the right to use its discretion in each case. She gave notice of motion accordingly. Subsequently the rate of relief in the case mentioned by the miners was raised to 30/ a week.