MINISTER INVESTIGATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 103, 4 May 1931, Page 7

MINISTER INVESTIGATES.

SOCIAL ORGANISATIONS' WORK. UNIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES. Relief activities of the various social organisations of Auckland were investigated on Friday, and Saturday 'by the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy. At a late hour on Friday night he vvas at the City Mission shelter. For some weeks past the Minister has been busy, both in Auckland and Wellington, with measures to unify relief activities, and to put beyond all doubt the availability of help in every bona-fide case of necessity. In an interview this morning regarding the position of relief in. Auckland, the Minister eaid that no , one need starve, notwithstanding the economic crisis through which we were passing. There were three outstanding guarantees in this connection. In the first place he was sure .his own fellow citizens would not allow a neighbour to starve. If money or food were not available in individual cases, a helping hand to sources of relief was available. It was characteristic of Auckland" that private and organised benevolence had provided many such sources of relief, both for food and shelter.

Then there was the hospital relief organisation, to which all had the right to apply in their extremity. This was composed of citizens with statutory authority to minister to the necessities of the distressed. Behind these guarajiteee was the guarantee of the Government that no one would be left to starve. The Government had greatly assisted privately-organised relief by direct money grants and in other material ways, and for every £1 spent by Hospital Board the Government provided another £1, plus special grants. Thie money was circulated in hospital districts, and -being, in the aggregate, a large sum, it was of value to 'business people who were ratepayers. The result of all these activities, saul the Minister, was that .no person ii* Auckland, a bona fide resident, need without foodoorr r shelter. "I have personally investigated the whole position, and discussed it with the relief organisations referred to," the Minister said. "The Hospital Board committee, tlic Rev. Jasper Calder, of the City Mission, Major Gordon, of the Salvation Army, Miss Bentham, of the Y.W.C.A., and others, have all assured me that every application for relief to date has been met, and that no bona fide applicant will be left without food or shelter. Accommodation is available for necessitous

Minister visited the Y.W.O.A. on Saturday, where special classes are bein" held for unemployed young women. Arts" and crafts, domestic science, and speed practice for shorthand writers, are anion? the subjects *eing taught under cxpert instructors. "A great deal is being done to further equip women for life's battle and to help them into emDlovment," said the Minister. On tho SoS board in the Y.W.C.A. ployed rc-ktry office I saw some oO positions still vacant. Some of thes« are offers of homes in the country with small wages in addition to board and lodging. Major Gordon, of the Salvation Army, reports the same thing to me Many young women have refu?nl to "o a* far into the country, as tlie concrete road will take them, even for the lightest of domestic situations."