MORE RATIONS.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20905, 12 July 1933, Page 5

MORE RATIONS.

APPEAL TO BUSINESS MEN. METROPOLITAN COMMITTEE'S DECISION. A decision that the various relict depot managers of the city should wait on the Christchurch Business Men's Relief of Distress Committee and discuss the possibility of issuing increased rations was reached after a long discussion at a meeting of the committee of the Metropolitan Relief Association last night. Mr George Harper presided. It was suggested that in order to giv out fresh bread to applicants the depots should be opened twice a week. To open the depots for two days a week for such a small ration was asking for trouble, said the Rev. F. Greenwood, of Richmond. The two rations, he said, were not a decent issue. Mr E. Prebble, of Riccarton, said that the bread required in each district I should be supplied by the bakers in that district, so that it could be fresh. The Rev. L. McMaster, of Woolston, said that bread now being handed out was frequently a week old, and it was ! a shame to issue it to the poor. I Adjutant V. Woods said that tea, I sugar, and butter were better rations than two weekly issues of meat and j bread. i Another Pound Scheme. j Mr J. K. Moloney said that apparently the depots could be relieved I oven if it was necessary to make anI other appeal in the city for some form of a pound scheme. The Rev. L. M. Rogers, of tire Sydenham depot, stated that unless increased rations were forthcoming his depot would be compelled to close. Father J. Maguirc. of Ferry road, said that for 120 families at his depot he had been issued with four carcases of mutton and -13 loaves. He had to purchase 77 extra loa\\:s and had had to turn applicants away. The depot managers, said Mr Rogers, were faced with what was often a dangerous position. The director of the metropolitan depot (Mr T. Cape-Williamson) said that the bakers had stated that their trade was going, and the bootmakers had also made the same complaint. He had to supply rising numbers from a falling revenue. If 300.1b of bread were ordered for this week some one would have to go without. The ration the Business Men's Committee had set out to give would cost £635 a week and this was promptly stopped. He could secure 10 tons of lambs' skirts at lei a pound, but the poor cooks sneered at it while the good cooks welcomed it. It must never be forgotten that the rations were only to supplement wages. MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. MORE APPLICANTS I'OR RATIONS. An increased number of applicants had made a still heavier week than any experienced previously, the honorary director (Mr T. H. CapeWilliamson) said in his report to the executive of the Metropolitan Relief Association on Monday. The total number of applicants for rations, all of whom were supplied, was 3238, representing an increase of 556 on the previous week's number. The blankets issued last week totalled 29 pairs. The number of coal applications was 718, the total number since the issue of the coal ration being 4881. Boot and shoe repairs numbered 307, an increase of 46. The main ration issues were set out in a total showing the quantity issued during the week, the average for a family for a week, and the total since June 1, 1933. The list read:—Bread, 11,3881b. 3ilb, 45,C561b; meat, 17,1001b, 531b, 63,0501b; flour, 41621b, total 21,7551b; dripping, 25051b, total 11,1571b; potatoes, 74601b, total 48,2601b. Until further notice no accounts for tea or butter would be handed to the Business Men's Committee. The large increase in the accounts for tea was readily understood when it was stated that the first ration list issued by the Business Men's Committee was much more generous than that of the Citizens' Relief Association, the quantity of tea allowed being practically doubled. Added to that, a second day of issue weekly made a still further increase Twenty-six flock mattresses. 49 beds, and 43 box and wire mattresses had been delivered from June 2 to July 6. Much had been done in handling cases of reduction in rents and eviction cases. The credit balance at the bank to date was £2Ol 15s lOd. The report was adopted. The chairman (Mr' George Harper) said that a tour of the depots had revealed that in some cases rations were running short. It was decided to make further enquiries concerning the bread supply. RICCARTON BOROUGH RELIEF. The secretary of the Riccarton borough relief depot reports that 72 cases of distress were assisted last Friday, this being a considerable increase in the number of cases dealt with when the Riccarton depot opened on June 16. He reports also that supplies are coming in fairly freely, but not up to the committee's exoectations. This no doubt is the result of the lack of collectors, and the committee urgently appeals to all those persons who can lind the necessary time for collecting and are willing to do so, to hand their names to any one of the four clergymen in the borough, or to any member of the committee. The committee would especially recommend donors of goods to concentrate on supplies of tea, butter, sugar, and oatmeal, as these commodities are in heavy demand. A concert will be held in the town hall next week to augment the fund for supplying clothing to the needy cases of the borough. FITNESS FOR CAMP WORK. MEDICAL EXAMINATION BEGUN. (PKtSS ISGOCUTIOS Ta^EGBAJt.) AUCKLAND, July 11. The medical examination was begun at Onehunga to-day of relief workers employed by the borough council to decide their fitness for camp work. There are about 600 workers to bel examined.

RELIEF FUND. YESTERDAY'S CONTRIBUTIONS. The contributions to the Citizens' Relief of Distress Fund received yesterday brought the total to date up to £!)944 10s Bd. The honorary treasurer, Mr J. W. Niven, city treasurer, on behalf of the Business Men's Relief Committee, acknowledges the following additional contributions: — £ s. d. Previously acknowledged 9843 12 8 Stewart Robinson .. 110 Stable staff, J. M. Heywood and Co., fifth contribution .. . - 0 U 0 Arrow Social Club .. 1 6 0 Anonymous .. .. 40 0 0 Hardware merchants .. 36 5 0 Weedons .. .. 10 0 Christchurch Philatelic Society .. .. 22 0 J. H. Wilton, Ltd. .. 22 0 Staff, J. H. Wilton, Ltd. .. 110 McPhail and Fisher .. 110 Staff, McPhail and Fisher .. 0 17 0 Harold Lightband. Ltd. .. 10 0 0 Staff, Harold Lightband. Ltd. . . .. 2 0 0 Mrs Brodie .. 10 0 PJmployces, Blackwell's Motors, third contribution .. 0 3 6 Employees, Ball in Bros. Ltd., fifth contribution .. 0 8 G Total .. .. £9914 10 8 Also, from Messrs Andersen and Hudson, Ltd., leather merchants, goods to the value of £lO. THE MAYOR'S RELIEF OF DISTRESS FUND. The giris of standard VI. at the Leckenham School recently held a fete in Bcckenham Park, in aid of the Mayor's Relief of Distress Fund, the proceeds from which amounted to £4 5s 3d. COAL ORDERS SUSPENDED. An official ol the Metropolitan Relief Depot stated yesterday that no further applications for coal would be received until Monday next, owing to the present large accumulation of ordeis. SUPPLY OF BOOTS. EXPEDITING DELIVERY. An effort is being made by Mr Walter Bromley, a member of the Unemployment Board, to expedite the delivery of boots made under the board's scheme so that city relief workers can be supplied. Mr Bromley said yesterday that the boots were not being delivered in Christchurch quite as fast as in other centres because there were fewer factories engaged in their manufacture here. He was trying, however, to arrange for further contracts to be placed so that supplies would come to hand faster than previous!}'. In reply to a question, Mr Bromley was unable to say how soon it would be possible to supply city relief workers with boots, as this depended on the rate of delivery from the factory. PROSPERITY WEEK. AUCKLAND TRANSPORT BOARD GRANTS £250. UT.ISS ASbOC-HTIOX TIX-EGU^U.) AUCKLAND, July 11. The Transport Board to-day decided to give £250 to the Prosperity Week campaign. The chairman, Mr J. A. C. Allum, said the board could not afford it, but in the circumstances he thought it ought to give it. The Auckland Power Board had given the same amount. Mr T. Bloodworth said a lot had been heard about the board's action in paying its interest in London in New Zealand currency, damaging the credit of the Dominion, but surely nothing could damage the country's credit more than revelations in the Mayor's letter, that there were 50 nursing mothers lacking sustenance and that their babies were suffering from malnutrition. RELIEF WORKS' DIFFICULTIES. POINTS CLEARED UP.

Difficulties that have arisen in the administration of unemployment relief works in Christchurch were discussed yesterday morning at a conference in the Mayor's room, which was attended by the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.), Messrs Walter Bromley and P. R. Climie (members of the Unemployment Board), F. Langbein (Disrtict Public Works Engineer), R. T. Bailey (Officer-in-Charge of the Labour Department), and J, McCombs, M.P. The Mayor announced later that a number of points had been cleared up. The matters discussed, while not of first importance, had presented some difficulties and these had been cleared away. "Quite a profitable morning," was Mr Bromley's comment on the conference.