UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20010, 19 August 1930, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT.

FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING. The Finance Committee of the Citizens' Unemployment Committee met yesterday. Present—Crs. E. H. Andrews (chairman), Annie I. Fraer, Staff-Cap-tain Dry, Messrs George Harper, W. W. Scarff, R. J. Ecroyd, J. S. Barnett, J. 11. Shaw (Mayor of New Brighton), W. Goss, R. T. Bailey, J. F. Eames, and P. R. Climie (hon. secretary). Depot Report. Mr H. Chapman, on behalf of the Sydenham Relief Depot, reported that during the three days the depot was open last week 40 cases were dealt with on Monday, 42 on Wednesday, and 40 on Friday. Since the opening of the depot 627 ration lists had been issued.. During the week 21 new families received relief. Financial position: Received from Citizens' Committee, £ll9 7s; local subscriptions, £4 2s 6d; total, £123 9s 6d. Expenditure: Goods purchased, £9O 5s 7d; balance to credit, £33 3s lid. As the depot has been open 19 days the average cost per day waf £4 15s. Men's Industrial Home. Staff-Captain George F. C. Dry, Sal- . vation Army, wrote making an appeal on behalf of the Salvation Army's Men's Industrial Home at Addington. He wrote that while it had the official recognition of the committee in common with other relief depots, the Home had not had the same treatment meted to it; it had been sadly overlooked in the distribution of grants to depots. Tlicy were at considerable expense to maintain the number of unemployed men appealing for assistance, and they found themselves compelled to supply anything from 350 to 400 meals per day. The £25 vote .made by the committee had been spent in providing bedding to supplement what had been hired. Mr Goss said that the comfnittee had treated the Salvation Army depots as one. Staff-Captain Dry said that on last week's operations he was £54 in arrears. The chairman said that the committee wanted to spend as much of its funds as possible on work; the votes to the depots carried no subsidy. When the committee voted to the Salvation Army a similar amount to that voted to the other depots, it had tjiought it was doing justice to all. Wh'en the statement of the committee's finances was under consideration Captain Dry's application was dealt with. The statement showed that the committee had £277 in hand. Mr Shaw moved: "That £77 bo voted to the Men's Industrial Home," and said that it must be admitted that the Army was doing good work. The chairman said he did not want to throw cold water on the matter, but it meant recognising two Salvation Army depots. If they had recognised that, they probably would not have started the Sydenham depot. Captain Dry said that the Industrial Home, dealt only with men; it was not meeting the needs of women, children and families. Mr Barnett said that the work of the Home was vastly different from that of the other depots. But for the relief provided by the Home, there would have been a serious public scandal. Mr Ecroyd moved, as an amendment, that £47 bo voted to liquidate the liabilities of the Home, and that when making future grants the committee should take into consideration tho two A'my depots. On the suggestion of the secretary a compromise on a vote of £/>0 was agreed to. Financial Position. The statement of finances showed: Subscriptions received since previous meeting, £l3O 3s Id. Payments (voted to relief depots): £197 7s. There was in hand on August 18th, £683 3s. The committee's commitments were: Heathcote County Council, £100; Returned Soldiers' Association, £SO; improvements to Riccarton avenue, £150; Heathcote County Council (Marlow road), £100; Ellesmere County Council, £8; Ashby, Bergh, and Co., 9s 6d; total £4OB 9s 6d. The City Treasurer submitted a statement showing that from the committee's funds £7OB had been paid to local bodies, and £477 8s to the depots. The amounts allocated to local bodies for relief of unemployment were: — Christcliurch City Council, £500; HeathI cote County Council (path on the hills) £IOO, and for M*low road, £100; Ellesmere County Council (subsidy on wages) say, £S; total, £7OB. To relief depots: St. Albans Relief Depot, Salvation Army, St. Martins Home, and Sydenham Relief Depot, each. £ll9 7s, total £477 Bs. It was decided *to vote £lso' to the City Council for' further relief works. COUNTRY GIFTS. VARIOUS PRODUCE DRIVES. At yesterday's meeting of the Finance Committee of the Citizens' Unemployment Committee there were several references to the gifts of produce received from country districts as the result of "drives" organised by branches of the Farmers' Union. Tho secretary (Mr P. R. Climie) reported receipt of advice from the Malvern branch of the Farmers' Union that its members were now canvassing the district for produce which would be forwarded during the present week. Cr. Fraer reported that she received last week the results of the drive in the West Eyreton district, which had been distributed. She had acknowledged the receipt of produce from the Hororata district, which had been all distributed. The results of the Akaroa drive h,ad also been distributed. Mr F. G. Armstrong, hon. secretary of Akaroa Sub-Branch of the Farmers' Union, wrote that the Akaroa Borough Council had co-operated with the members of the branch in making the col lection of produce forwarded last week. The goods, with money to follow, were left to the discretion of the committee to distribute. "In making these appeals to country districts to alleviate the suffering of the dependents of the un employed, the results and assistance would be far better if concrete cases of hardship could be stated. We want something to refute the rumours, freely circulated, of many caseß of "Sham and fraud." The secretary said . that those who came in contact with the cates could give some very valuable information. Cr. Fraer said that when she was broadcasting blie would give some instances of hardship. Some of the worst cases wore found out by tho33 connected with the depots; the people themselves did not enquire. In reply to the chairman, Cr. Fraer undertook to give instances of hardship over the wireless. After the committee had risen, the secretary received from Mr Armstrong a cheque for £2O 17s, the proceeds of the' collection made in the Akaroa district, plus receipts of a dance promoted by the Women's ins tit ute.

A Waimate Suggestion. Mr Norton Francis wrote enclosing tho following letter from Mr George j Head, Waimate: "I see by one of the newspapers that your name was mentioned in connexion with a meeting that is to be held shortly, regarding relief of the unemployed. I notice that thanks were expressed lately to the people of certain districts which have been canvassed for cash and produce and castoff clothing. lam sure that there are many other districts which could be canvassed with equally good results. In many cases people have no means of getting their supplies into the depots, and if lorries could be sent round from house to house, or people were asked to leave it at their local stores, 'I think quite a lot of stuff of various kinds could be collected." Mr W. W. Scarff said that it would not be profitable to send lorries round unless there had been a preliminary campaign. It was decided to reply giving details of what had been done, and was being done, in other districts, afid stating that the committee would pay railage on any produce and goods sent to it. COUNCIL WORKS. PROPOSAL TO REDUCE SALARIES A proposal involving a reduction in the salaries of certain officials of the City Council came before last night's meeting of that body, when Or. A. E. Armstrong gave notice to move the following motion: "With the object of forming a fund for the purpose of employing unemployed men on Council works a reduction of 10 per cent, be made in the salaries of the following officials of the Council staff:—City Engineer, Assistant Engineer, General Managei and first ehginer Municipal Electricity Department, Town Clerk, Assistant Town Clerk, the money obtained from the reduction to be subsidised by the Council and Government, as is customary." Men at Present Employed. Forty-four men are at present employed on relief work by the City Council. The Abattoir, Markets, and Reserves Committee reported to tho City | Council last night that eighteen returned soldiers were employed at Bottle Lake, seven men at the Sydenham Ceme tery, four at Petrie street reserve, seven on the river banks, and five at Woolston Park. There were also three teams at work at Burwood Park and Linwood avenue. The report was adopted.