THE RELIEF OF DISTRESS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21199, 25 June 1934, Page 16

THE RELIEF OF DISTRESS

. v —- APPEAL BY PROGRESS LEAGUE; • ; CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MAYOR'S FUND Contributions in cash;.'to the appeal being made by the Canterbury Progress League on behalf of the Mayor's Relief of Distress Fund received on Saturday amounted to £2l 12s lid, and brought the total cash contributions received to date to £ 2269 10s id. Contributions in cash that have been promised and the value of goods promised amount to £2449 6s, and the total received and- promised is now £4718 16s Id. . J The cash contributions received on Saturday were:— £ s. d. Previously acknowledged 2197 9 10 Staff Massey, Harris Company, Ltd., 4th contribution . • . ■.. 0 7 9 Kodak 1 (N.Z.), Ltd. - 22 0 Christchurch Bakery Com--1 oany, Ltd. .. ... JJ » F.- Howell •• 2 0 0 G. H. M. Walton • • 5 5 0 Staff, Rangi-ruru School, Ist contribution ... 7 13 8 Chemists' Group, Ist contribution . • ■ • 9 J. L. Vergette 110 Staff Australasian T. and G. Mutual Life Society, 2nd contribution 0 12 6 £2269 10 1 HELP FOR 2500 FAMILIES APPEAL FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT

Mr F. W. Johnston, chairman of the executive and finance committee organised by the Canterbury Progress League to raise money for the Mayor's Relief of Distress Fund, has issifed the following statement: — "The amount of money promised and given continues to increase steadily and we are gratified at the widespread support the appeal is receiving. We have a long row to hoe, however, and approximately three ..times the amount of money already in sight must be regarded as the bare minimum necessary to prevent acute distress in our city this winter. "Evidence of business recovery has tended to blind some people to the plain fact that the absorption of the unemployed in industry is so far negligible. and any such absorption is more than offset by the large number of people who have not previously applied for relief, but are now forced to do so. owing to the exhaustion of their meagre resources which they j have been eating into during the last three or four years. I

"Many business men with whom I have come into contact have changed their views and realise the extreme urgency of the work being tackled by my committee when it is explained to them that no fewer than 6000 persons at the present time are depending upon the Mayor's Relief of Distress Fund for food and clothing. This figure, of course, includes women and children. More than lflOO families are involved and every mouth has to be fed.

"One of the bright things at the present .time is the' Rotary Club's splendid effort with its Bristol scheme, which I am glad to say is receiving good support. While indications are not lacking that the cOmmuhity spirit is as live to-day as ever it was, I would, in conclusion, like again to draw attention to the fact that a new type of person has been forced to apply for- relief, for the reasons I have already mentioned, and the demand on our funds is even more insistent than at this time last year, and unfortunately, as was proved to be the case last .year, we are faced with a considerable increase in the number of families who will be applying for relief during the months of July and August.

.it f? 1 , ac ' v '® ec * t' le chairman of ifi ie r^ e^'' oPo' 0 Po'" a n Relief Association, Mr George Harper, that it is certain o-n£ mber will be increased to 2aoo families during the next two months, which will bring the total number of persons needing assistance up tLI™ SS ( w an I 50 0" Jt is therefore, that we have a heavy task ahead, but I feel that the people of Christchurch will continue to 'rise to the occasion'."

PAYMENT FOR WET DAYS

NEW CONDITIONS CONFIRMED

Confirmation of the new arrangements made by Mr W. Bromley, a member of the Unemployment Board, when in Christchurch recently, about the payment of relief workers for wet day.s, has been received ,in a letter from the Commissioner of Unemployment (Mr C. G. Godfrey). The new arrangements are to be given a trial for 13 weeks. The letter states:— "On wet days the men allocated for scheme 5 work will be required to report on the job, or at the place they usually report for work. The officer usually deputed by the employing authority shall be the sole authority to decide whether or not the weather is suitable for work. He will then make his decision in the usual way, and if he declares it to -be too wet for work, the men may be dismissed and may be booked and paid for- a full day's work. If the engineer, or foreman, making the decision decides that the men should stand by in the hope of the weather clearing sufficiently to enable work to; be performed, they should stand by accordingly. Payment for the full day should be only authorised When the men have been dismissed. finally for the day."