RELIEF FUND.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20907, 14 July 1933, Page 3

RELIEF FUND.

BUSINESS MEN'S APPEAL. NOW MORE THAN £IO,OOO. The contributions to the Citizens' Belief of Distress Fund received yesterday brought the total to date up to £10,003 6s sd. 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 9964 611 Staff, Bank of Australasia, third fortnightly contr. 18 0 Canty. Caledonian Socy. .. 15 0 0 Staff J. Ballantyne and Co., third contribution .. 4 10 0 Staff A. J. Healing and Co. 22 0 Mac .. .. 22 0 J.W.G. .. .. 22 0 M. Bros. .. .. 22 0 S. and H. .. .. 0 5 0 H.F. and Son. .. .. 22 0 Medical profession of Christchurch additional contributions .. 7 6 6 Total .. .. 10,003 6 5 An amount of £2O was wrongly included in yesterday's list, and the total given above has been adjusted accordingly. CHARITY RACE MEETING. PERMIT MUST BE SECURED. Before a race meeting in aid of the Business Men's Relief of Distress Fund is held a totalisator permit for which a racing or trotting club has no use will have to be secured. This is made clear in a letter which the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. J. A. Young) has written to Mr W. H. E. Flint, chairman of the Business Men's Committee. Mr Flint wrote to the Minister pointing out that the Canterbury Jockey Club and the Christchurch Trotting Clubs had offered to arrange a special race meeting in aid of the committee's funds provided a permit was available. He asked whether in the circumstances the Government would, agree to remit the taxation. Mr Young stated in reply that the number of days' racing in each year was limited by statute, and thfa Government had decided against granting any special privileges which would have to be authorised by legislation. "Where the total profits of race meetings ,go to the relief of distress, and application is made for remission of taxation," the Minister added, "this remission, where granted, shall not exceed one-half of the taxation which would ordinarily be collected."

HELP FOR THE NEEDY.

GRATIFICATION OF MAYOR.

"I do not know whether I am fortunate or unfortunate in being Mayor of Christchurch at the present time—; it all depends on the way in which you look at it," said the Mayor, Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., in replying to a toast at the annual "Sam Weller Swarry" of tne Christchurch Working Men's Club last night.

At the present time, said Mr Sullivan, there were more than 3000 families, containing about 12,000 persons, who required assistance in Christchurch. During the last two and a half years tl£ task of making adequate provision for those needing help had been a strenuous one. What he would have done with a less generous city to help him he did not know. "It is impossible to meet this"Situation on a voluntary basis, but that is no reason why we should not do all in our power to help. The depression we are passing through is in the main due to the fall in prices, but it need not have been so bad as it is had we handled the position in a better way. Although there are about 70,000 unemployed in New Zealand, only about 25,000 have lost their jobs through the fall in prices, and the rest by the adoption of a wrong internal policy. Probably the whole country is to blame for lack of insight into the position. "I am proud of the way in which the workers have stood by the Mayor in the relief of distress." he said. "Our city has reason to be proud because no other city has shown a better spirit of kindness than our own. When the history of the depression comes to be written, one of the brightest pages will be the way our citizens have helped those in need."