NOT A SUCCESS?

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 226, 23 September 1932, Page 3

NOT A SUCCESS?

MAYOR'S RELIEF COMMITTEE.

MR. CALDER'S CRITICISM. OTHER SOCIAL WORKERS' VIEWS. "It must be obvious to all reasonable people that the Metropolitan Unemployment Relief Committee cannot be called a success." This statement was made to-day by the Rev. Jasper Calder, head of the Auckland City Mission, who mentioned several incidents in connection with the work of the Mayor's committee. His statement followed a recent meeting of the committee, when Major Holmes, of the Salvation Army, took Mr. Calder to task because he had stated that the committee was anything but a success. At that time Mr. T. McNab, Mayor of Mount Eden, said that Mr. Calder's remarks were out of order, and said that the committee had done a great work. Mr. Calder said to-day that he keenly supported the Mayor's scheme at its inception because it was very distinctly understood by everybody that the Metropolitan Committee would undertake all relief that was the result of unemployment. At the big meeting of Mayors, local bodies and social workers it was decided that the social workers must not collect funds for unemployment, as the metropolitan campaign was being launshed. Colonel Closey promised large quantities of meat from the farmers to be given free. Cases Sent Back. K' "For nearly three months," said Mr. Calder, "there was practically no relief given to the unemployed poor by this committee. When at last the metropolitan depot did get going, they declined for some time to give assistance to women anl children. Case after case I sent down to them, but the depot could do nothing. Four desperate casee Is' tit to the depot, and they were har .ed back to me to deal with.

"Now, Major Holmes and also the Rev. T. Halliday, who dissociate themselves from any friendly criticism of the M.U.R.C., have evidently forgotten that on several occasions, the Social Workers' Association have criticised the metropolitan committee for their slowness in getting to work and also for the fact that, while we were not permitted to collect,, we were still compelled to give an immense amount of relief to the unemployed, particularly to women and children. At one meeting of our Social Workers' Association I asked (as chairman) each individual organisation in turn if the income of their society had suffered because the Mayor's appeal was being prolonged. One" by one, Presbyterian, Salvationist, Roman Catholic and Anglican all said 'Yes,' and they said it with considerable emphasis. The result of this meeting was an urgent request to his Worship the Mayor to terminate his campaign as soon as possible. Mr. Hutchison was most sympathetic, and acknowledged the justice of our request* "For Major Holmes to pretend that the social workers are thoroughly satisfied with the M.U.R.C. is simply not true, and the matter can be readily settled by the production of the officia 1 records of our meetings. I will cheerfully admit that it is by no means the fault of the Mayor of Auckland, but from the social workers' point of view I am surely within my rights in stating that we are disappointed -in the failure of Colonel Closey'e. promise of free meat, and the fact that thft original undertaking of the M.U.R.C. to take over all unemployment relief has not materialised." ' Mr. Calder added that a good deal of the committee's mistakes were made when the Mayor was absent in Australia. Working Amicably. The view that the Metropolitan Committee i? supplementary to the social organisations is taken by the Rev. T. Halliday, another prominent social worker. He explained that the Metropolitan Committee had a great deal to do with unemployed men and their families, whereas the social organisations attended to hundred? of distressed families, in many cases, where there was no bread-winner at aIL "I believe that we have suffered financially a good deal since the inception of the Metropolitan Committee," said Mr. Halliday. "People who have been in good circumstances are not able to help us now as they were before. Even so, I don't see that the system can be improved at the present time. Theie are thousands of people assisted by the social workers who do not come under the' care of the central committee." Mr. Halliday said that the social organisations were under a misapprehension when they believed that as soon as a man signed up for camp, he and his family received no assistance from the Unemployment Board. He said that the men who were about to go to camp continued on relief pay, if they were relief workers, or were given sustenance through an arrangement with the Labour Department, until they reached camp. "The social organisations and the Mayor's Unemployment Committee are working amicably together," said Mr. Halliday. "Doing Excellent Work." "I believe that the Mayor's committee is doing excellent work," said Major Holmes, of the Salvation Army. "The various social organisations confine their work to the city only, whereas the Metropolitan Committee helps men in country camps, besides men in the city. I do not think the work of the Salvation Army has suffered because of the operations of the Mayor's committee. In fact, most of the social organisations have been working together on the committee, and I know that the Mayor will do everything possible for the social organisations. If relief is given and the work is done, what does it matter who gives the relief?"