MEETING AT THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9129, 13 June 1895, Page 5

MEETING AT THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

A meeting of the heads of local bodies, convened by the Mayor of Christchurch, waa held at the City Council Chambers last night. There were present—His Worship the Mayor of Christchurch, and Messrs Brown (Mayor of Sydenham), Penteney (Mayor of St. Albans), Brunt (Mayor of Linwood), Richardson (Mayor of Woolston), and McHaffie (Chairman of the Heathcote Road Board).

It was decided that the Press should be represented at the meeting. Tha Mayor explained that he had called the meeting for the purpose of discussing some scheme or schemes for the purpose of telieving the unemployed. In the first place he would say that Mr G. G. Stead had come to the front in a most generous manner, and had taken the initiative by making a donation of £20. The Press Company had contributed £20, and up to that afternoon over £100 had been collected through the medium of the Press Relief Fund. Mr Stead and he had disc-ussed the question the previous day, and found tbat it was imperative that the local bodies should do something, as the Government were only prepared to help to a oertain extent. Last year the sum of nearly £400 was collected for the relief of the aged poor of Christchurch, but men came * from the suburban districts. The line had to be drawn somewhere, and in drawing it, difficulties arose with the local bodies. It was desired to avoid a repetition thi3 year, and it was suggested that tbe money should go into a general fund. The meeting was called to learn how far the local bodies might be able to go. It was intended to canvass Christchurch, and he was sure it would not be difficult to collect £500. Wellington aud Dunedin had done something, and there were good men here who wanted relief. He iuteuded moving in his Council on Monday for a vote of £200 for the purpose of relieving those out of work this winter, and what he wished to know was how far it might be expected that the other Councils would go, and if they would put the amount into one general fund. This would give the Committee a free hand to give wor_, no matter where the applicant came from. Mr Stead's idea waa thiß, and with it he fully agreed —that local bodies should subscribe £500' and tbat citizens should subscribe £500, With the Government subsidy this would amount to nearly £2200, and with that amount a good deal could be done. He (the M;iyor) oontemplated calling a meeting on Friday evening of the citizens to consider the appointment of collectors, &c. He sent a telegram to the Premier, who had replied that the money would have to be passed through the Charitable Aid Board. He (the Mayor) did rob like the idea of paying money through the Charitable Aid Board, but in this case he was prepared to bend the knee for the benefit ot the poor and those out of work. He had also wired to Dunedin and had received a reply that they were paying 4s 6d a day. Mr Stead's idea was that here £1 per week should be given to all and sundry, as that amount would be sufficient to keep the wolf from the door, and a little fire in the grate. Then it was proposed that any citizen giving £1 or more should receive a ticket representing an equivalent value with which he would be entitled to have work done to that amount, as it was not wished to make this a pauper institution. Another idea of his was that subscription lists should be sent to the bodies (and others) who had asked him to Convene the conference with the Premier. If the members of these bodies each gave Is the amount would soon run into a large sum. If the members would nob give als each # then they were not the men he took them to be. In answer to questions, he said that there would be no doubt about the distribution of the work, as the money would be spent pro rata in the subscribing districts. He wished it to be understood that this would not be what could be termed charitable aid work, and that the meu would be engaged and paid by local bodies, who would receive their share from the general body. The representatives present spoke to the scheme, which met with their approval, and they promised to lay it before their respective bodies. The question of wages was discussed, and suggestions were made that married men should receive 25s and single men £1, or that single men without ties should receive their actual board, ptovided it did nob exceed £1, and that married men should receive £1 or a little over. The several Mayors present undertook that their Councils would receive the names of those wanting work. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Mayor. -