UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20753, 13 January 1933, Page 14

UNEMPLOYMENT.

♦ — - DISTRESS FUND ALMOST DEPLETED. FREE SUPPLIES OF MEAT TO END. Several mutters rela-linjr in Hin relief ol' distress caused by uiicmploymonl claimed Hie attention of the Mayor (Mr I). G. Sullivan, M.IM on his return from his holiday in the North "Island yestrrdfiy. The heavy demands made on the Mayor's Relief of Distress Fund have almost, depicted it, and flie Commissioner of Unemployment (Mr C. G. Godfrey), in a letter lo Mr .1. W. Woodbury, honorary director of the Central .Relief Depot, has slated that the Unemployment. Board cannot simply any more meat for distribution in Christchurch. The scerntarv of the North Canterbury Hospital Board (Mr \V. S. Wharton), in it letter to the Mayor, stated that during the week ended January 7 the number of applications for assistance from the special allowance from the Mayor's Fund was 327, and 325 of the applicants were assisted, at a total cost of £O2 1m Id. Besides this, 40 bags of coal were out. The amount was over the allowance, but in that particular week there seemed to be a definite shortage in many homes. This was brought about by the holidays and possibly the fact (hat some of the men had received relief pay in advance. The amount owed to the Board for special relief, comprising rations and coal issued by the Board on the Mayor."s behalf to necessitous cases since July 28, 1932. was £Bl9 3s lOd. Mr Sullivan said yesterday that it was his intention to examine closely the position of the Kclief of Distress Fund. It was possible that he might not be able to carry on with the special relief dispensed on his behalf by the Hospital Board, or he might have to curtail it. Board Unable to Provide Meat. The Commissioner of Unemployment in his letter to Mr Woodbury, conveying the decision of Hie Unemployment Board that it could not supply any more meat for Christchurch, said that '"Christchurch had already had more generous treatment than other cities in the matter of the supply of meat, and that the funds at the disposal of the Board were not sufficient to justify further supplies being given. "This means that we shall have no more meat to issue to the depots after next week," Mr Woodbury stated in a letter to the Mayor referring to the Board's decision. "I really do not liko to contemplate the effect this is going to have on the hundreds of families that are quite unable to buy meat, and I am putting it before you as 1 know you will appreciate the position and perhaps assist us as yon have so kindly done in previous cases." CIRCULAR ISSUED TO RELIEF WORKERS. RENT -STRIKE PROPOSAL. (P3BSS ASSOCIATION TBI.UGII.VU.) AUCKLAND. January VI. A typewritten circular signed "The United Front Organising Committee," has been sent round to all relief jobs in Auckland, urging the workers to carrv out the decisions of a recent conference i» Wellington. The aims oi the organisation are said to be in the direction of a national rent strike, the non-payment ol the next quarterly unemployment levy, aud payment ot sustenance without, work. It was learned to-day that among some of the men there is a feeling ol unrest and a tendency to go slow, while others are working normally. The officer in charge of unemployment said that the Unemployment Board would stand behind any local body which took action to combat a "go slow" policy. There had been, definite indications of what was bring attempted, and a strict, watch would be kept.