WINTER RELIEF.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 84, 10 April 1933, Page 5

WINTER RELIEF.

SPECIAL FUND OPENED HIS EXCELLENCY'S APPEAL FOODSTUFFS AND MONEY. "The crying need for generous help during the coming winter to the deserving destitute" is brought to the notice of all the Dominion's people by their Excellencies the Governor-General and the Lady Bledisloe. They have opened a fund, "The Governor-General's Winter Belief Fund," with the gift of £100 and twelve fat sheep, and they appeal to all whose means permit to contribute either in goods or monej'. His Excellency spoke last night from station 2YA, Wellington, and his remarks were relayed by the other national stations. He said:— "None Can Feel Indifferent." "On the eve of our departure for an official visit to the inhabitants of Western Samoa and Barotonga, the Lady Bledisloe and 'I wish to make an appeal .to the generous sympathies of the people of New Zealand. None of us can feel indifferent to the probability that, through economic causes beyond their control, many people in various parts of the Dominion will be faced with privation, and, in some cases, a,ctual want, in spite of Government, municipal and other publicly administered measures for relief, and the patriotic and self-sacrificing efforts on the part of many philanthropic and charitable organisations, whose members have laboured voluntarily without cessation year after year (and with special strenuousness during the last twelve months) in the task of alleviating distress, and whose untiring activities will, we hope, continue to attract the measure of sympathetic . encouragement and practical support which the public has extended to them in the past.

"These are days of adversity for all of us, but to those whose impoverishment is the direct result of loss of regular occupation and the means of support which such occupation assured to them and to their families in times of normal prosperity, it is only natural that the outlook for the winter months should seem dreary and depressing. "The recipients of public relief no doubt include some persons unworthy of benevolent consideration. But these are relatively few and should not be allowed to blind us to the crying need for generous help during the coming winter to the deserving destitute, or affect our inclination to play our part in satisfying it. Food, Clothing, Fuel, Money.

"The consciousness that it .may be difficult effectively to increase to any material extent the already heavy com-j pulsory burdens imposed upon taxpayers, and ratepayers impels us to appeal— with the concurrence of my Ministers — to any of those throughout the Dominion whose means (although necessarily curtailed by the present serious economic stress) will permit, to make any suitable contributions that they may feel able and disposed to make—in the form of food commodities (such, for example, as~ sheep and beef cattle, butchers' meat, eggs, fish, potatoes and other vegetables, butter and cheese), clothing (including especially material for making new clothes), boots, coal and firewood, free transport, or money—to a fund to be designated 'The GovernorGeneral's Winter Relief Fund.'-

"Those to whom we now earnestly appeal do not exclude all members of the farming community, who, however serious their present economic plight, have at least on their farms the means of subsistence which are not so. easily accessible to many impoverished townspeople.

"If those who feel willing and able to respond to this appeal would kindly indicate.as early as possible the nature and amount of their proposed gifts (and if specially desired, the district to which they are to be allocated) in a letter addressed to 'The Secretary, GovernorGeneral's Winter Relief Fund, Government House, Wellington,' a grateful acknowledgment will be sent by the Lady Bledisloe and myself. In the case of gifts in kind, suggestions will subsequently be made by the distributing authorities as to the date of their delivery, and the addresses to which they should be sent.

"Monetary donations or promises of money may be sent to the secretary on anv date convenient to the donors —the earlier the better. It would be appreciated if contributors of produce or other goods who can spread their gifts over a period of three or four month's would indicate the weekly or monthly quantities which can be supplied. Unless they make at the same time a request to the contrary, it will be assumed that they have no objection to their names and the nature of their contributions being published in the Press. Means of Distribution. "In order to avoid duplication of effort and overlapping which the creation of a separate distributing organisation would involve, it has been decided to utilise the adequate machinery already in existence for distribution in the various urban centres. "In the hope that others will follow suit so far as their means her Excellency and I propose, by revising our scale of expenditure, to make an initial contribution of £100 to the fund, as well as 12 fat sheep now grazing on the Government House paddock at Wellington. "This is admittedly an unusual appeal, but the circumstances are unpredented, and call for an unprecedented effort on the part of every section of the community. It is for this reason that the Lady Bledisloe and I feel that we should be failing in our duty if we did not use such effort as may lie in our power to assist that large and growing number of deserving people who, after two years of hope deferred, and the lack of means to enjoy on any but the most meagre 6cale the ordinary amenities of life, are faced with acute mental suffering and severe material! discomfort in the struggle to maintain health and physical efficiency."