RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYED

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21082, 6 February 1934, Page 14

RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYED

•10 THK IDITO* OF TUB P»ES3. Sir,—Reading the letters in your paper in regard to the rations issued by the Central Depot, it is quite evident that those complaining are not >r,vare that the weekly rations are «.:;ly supplementary and are purchased /•-tit of moneys given so generously >/,■ the citizens of Christchurch and ; pent to the very best advantage on juod supplies for the various depots. Mr Cape-Williamson, who is honor-Sw-y director of the Central Relief Depet, is deserving of the highest praise ■JiTjm both the citizens of Christchurch and those people drawing rations from ihe distributing depots for the able and efficient manner in which he has ■worked untiringly and given up his lime voluntarily to those in need. With regard to Mr P. F. Rogan s remarks, I know that if it were possible with the funds available, butter, etc would be included in the rations, but' as 1500 families at present are lifing supplied weekly it is not possible to make any change in the ration issue. It is of no use for Mr Rogan respectfully to demand butter, milk, tea, --u"ar and honey unless he can say where the money is coming from to buy the extra rations. . [f these extra rations arc issued they are only to cases of extreme hardship, distress and sickness. I am sure that if those persons who write to the paper under nom de plumes and are in need would interview Mr Ccipe-Williamson, he would give them the same consideration as others.— Yours, etc., a _ r McINTOSH . February 5, 1D34. to TBi »diio» or te» ra»»s- ----• sir,—As a number of people seem to ho unable to understand why the unemployed are served out dripping with their other rations, may I be allowed io explain a little. As a worker all last winter in a relief depot, I helped | in weigh hundreds of pounds of dripping and never had a complaint from a single person. These rations are not the only food the unemployed obtain. They are simply supplementary to other food which is bought out of their wages. Numbers of relief ■workers never come to the depot for rations, and are trying to manage on the money which they earn. All honour to such; they are the people vho will be the first to recover when the tide of prosperity returns. I have often eaten bread and dripping and found it very tasty, and it is also full of nourishment. 16 would be a fino thing If a few of Bie recipients of rations would write •nd thank Mr Cape-Williamson ""for <}* m^S lifl «nt piece of self-sacrlflc-a»f work whjah he baa dona for hun.

ch-eds of people all over Christchurch. —Yours, etc., A DEPOT WORKER. February 5. 1934. : TO THE IMTOR OT THE P«ES3. Sir,—One must realise that the position of director of the Citizens' Relief Association's depots is in no way an easy one. Every day a continuous stream of applicants is dealt with, a«d each one has his or her tale of woe to pour into willing ears. As the director is faced with the nerve-racking duty of trying to give as full a quota ot reliel as the applicarr.j require out of a fund which is vc.y limited, he should be commended for the splendid assistance he ha : . rendered during his term of aciiini- ratiuii. But :is&uitdl> jocd deeds are taken as a matter of course, and the average unemploy... "..i looks on the depots as an institution wherein they have a right to demand that which they require. One or your correspondents says that tea. sugar, butter, and even New Zealand honey should be given. Another tries to advertise her husband's butter. No doubt if the depots were to order a weekly supply of butter it would create a greater demand and up would go the price of butter. ~ J As Mr Cape-Williamson can t get: enough money to buy butter, let us take what he can give, and instead of grasping at a remark passed in the heat of the moment, when he is told that people are lighting the fire with a butter substitute, let us think of all the good deeds he has done and the sympathy he has extended to some unfortunates in the past. For instance, who fed the unemployed during the holidays, during the Rapaki dispute, and oh other jobs at different times? Also, if he has a better breakfast, remember that he was a member of a working class organisation which in its own way fought for good conditions for its members, and as members of an ever-enlarging community of relief workers, let us fight around something more vital than remarks such as we are now fighting over, and go for conditions in which men will get the money to buy that which they require and are entitled to, and do away with the necessity of struggling aruund relief depots.—Yours, etc., TOLERATION. February 5, 1934.