LIFE IN CAMP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 78, 2 April 1932, Page 10

LIFE IN CAMP.

RELIEF WORKERS' CONDITIONS HARDSHIPS BRAVELY BORNE. "MAKING THE BEST OF IT."

" Relief Work." What a world of significance does the term convey, and yet how little does the average citizen know of what it means. One does not refer to what is done under the familiar No. 5 scheme —every suburban dweller is aware of that —but to the work in country camps, and the living conditions of tlio hundreds of our citizens who inhabit them.

The man in the street is vaguely aware that a number of labour camps exist; he knows that they provide work for men who have long been unemployed in the industrial centres; he has heard or read somewhere that the pay is small, and he feels an impersonal sort of sympathy with the men, but he' knows nothing definite. "One half of the world doesn't know how the other half lives," and he is too far awity to know anything definite about the camps. It may surprise him to learn that over 550 men are working on relief schemes within a radius of 40 miles of Auckland, that the work is hard, and duly allocated under a system that permits of no idling, that the weekly pay amounts in the great majority of cases to less than a norma] daily wage, and that most of the men are in urgent need of boots and clothing. Those are hard and possibly unpalatable facts. It must added that the life (under good weather conditions) is healthy, and that those whose duty it is to administer and control the camps are conscientiously performing their tasks and doing what they can for the men. It would be foolish to assert that there is no way in which conditions could be bettered, but, after independent and unfettered observation of five representative camps in different parts of the province, one feels justified in speakingup for that much-abused branch of Government administration, the Department of Public Works, which, in cooperation with the Labour Department, is responsible for the scheme. This

article is not an apologia for authority in any form, and the writer will not hesitate to criticise when criticism is justified, but it is only fair to the public to dispel any impression which may have been gained that the men in relief camps are simply herded together and left to fend for themselves, neglected and forgotten by their more fortunate fellow citizens. Conscientious Work.

The outstanding impression left after a long day round the camps, mixing with , the men at work and in their leisure [moments, is admiration for the way in which they apply themselves to a thankless task. No doubt there is philosophic comfort to be gained from the fact that one is usefully employed instead of searching vainly for work, but it must of necessity be hard to toil for a pittance, away from home and kindred, to say nothing of suffering from the lack of sufficient clothing to make for comfort. Under all the circumstances the men face the position bravely. Grumblers arc few and far between, and the majority will say, "Well, here we are, and we've got to make the best of it." A visit was paid to five typical camps yesterday by members ox the Hospital Board Belief Committee, an organisation which lias naturally been brought into very intimate contact with those suffering through unemployment. The visits were unannounced, and there was no possibility of anything being specially prepared for the visitors to see. They went to three of the camps in the Aka Aka district, where drainage work is being done, to a camp for married men at Kopuku, beyond Pokeno, and finally to a road deviation works camp at Ramarama, near Bombay. It was found that in camps where the men had been working together for any considerable length of time they had settled down and had, indeed, succeeded in creating quite a homely atmosphere about the place; it was in the newest camps that the greatest amount of "grousing" was taking place.. In any camp the cook is sure to come in for his full share of criticism, and there were no exceptions' yesterday, but the complaints did not appear too well-founded. At one camp several of the men said the allowance of lib of bread a day was not sufficient, but this was somewhat difficult to reconcile with the fact that after the last meal the cook's mate had collected nearly a sugar bag full of quite fresh and edible ends of loaves. <

Certainly the meals which were seen in course of preparation were composed of wholesome and palatable ingredients. Roasts of beef and mutton, and pies and puddings that would be acceptable on any ordinary dinner table were tha rule rather than the exception. Natllially, the standard of comfort and service is below that to which the men have been accustomed, but it can ceitainly be said that both are far higher than the average of camp life in the Army under service conditions.

Boots and Clotting Urgently Needed. The work is hard, there is no doubt about that, and the men are certainly entitled to be well fed and equipped' Mention of equipment brings up the problem of boots and clothing, which is certainly a serious one. It is hard for a man to have only one pair of hoots and only one shirt and one pair ot trousers, yet that is repeatedly found to be the case, and, often enough, both boots and clothes tire almost worn otit. Gifts of these necessary articles will very welcome indeed, and offers may ue made through the Labour Department or any relief organisation. Books, magazines and any form of camp equipment will also be gratefully received. In one important respect improved organisation is needed, and that i» medical supervision, it was agreed by yesterday's visitors, who included M'W. Wallace (chairman of the Hospital Board), Air. W. K. Howitt (chairman of the relief committee) and Dr. S. A. Stride (the board's medical officer) that every camp foreman should be authorised to call the nearest doctor or nurse in case of need. The opinion was also expressed that a system of regular visuing by a medical officer should he established.