DISTRESS IN AUCKLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 18, 22 January 1931, Page 8

DISTRESS IN AUCKLAND.

NEW RECORD REACHED.

500 RELIEF APPLICATIONS

COMPANION OF TRAVERS, V.C,

Applications for relief from the Auckland Hospital Board to-day reached a new total of 500. When the relief committee of the board met, the chairman, Mr. W. K. Howitt, said the applications in the city totalled 488, and there were several applications from country districts. Since January 8 the committee had been asked to assist 194 applicants, who had not sought assistance before. The total had been increased by more than 150 in a fortnight, and included 322 on account of lack of work, 07 due to sickness, 17 because of insufficient means of support, and 19 through old age.

Apart from the cases due to unemployment, it was a normal list, said Mr. Howitt. To deal with the cases of distress among men who were out of work the staff was working overtime, and the board had a serious problem.

Exciting war experiences with "Dick" Travers, V.C., the famous New Zealand scout, were claimed by a man who had been awarded the D.C.M. and had also been recommended for a Victoria Cross. He stated he was Travers' companion the night he "wiped out a party of Huns" and, on another occasion he spent all night shooting men in enemy territory.

"I have had to sell my furniture at a quarter of its value," said a carpenter who applied for relief for the first time. He stated that his chances of getting work were disconnected by the fact that he had been unable to pay the unemployment levy.

Most of the applicants who appeared before the committee were able-bodied men with children. There was a contractor, with six children, who said he would lose possession of a truck, on which he had paid £200, if he did not find employment in a fortnight. Another case was that of a man, his son (21) and daughter (15) were living in one room. He had done only three months work in the past year and all were now unemployed.

"I had a week's work when I got married," said a mattress-maker, 22 years of age, whose wife was only 16J.

A shipwright whose banking account had dwindled to nothing, said he came out from Scotland four years ago and had five children. As the annual overhauls of coastal vessels would commence within a fortnight he expected there would soon be considerable employment for shipwrights.

Most of the cases were met by grants for food.