UNEMPLOYMENT

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21213, 11 July 1934, Page 14

UNEMPLOYMENT

HEAVY DEMANDS AT ! DEPOT APPLICATIONS FOR RELIEF SUGGESTION TO KEOPEN POUND SCHEME Heavy demands are now being made on the relief work carried out at the Central Relief Depot. The number of applicants has been increasing steadily during the winter, and it is estimated that since March 23 of this year, until June 30, the number of persons applying for assistance was 19,864. The weekly average of applicants was 1324.26. These figures were supplied in a comparative table drawn up by the director (Mr T. H. Cape-Williamson) and presented at a meeting of the Metropolitan Relief Association yesterday afternoon. For the seven weeks from March 23 to May 5. the total number of applications for rations, boots, and genera! relief was 5033, and the weekly average 719. For the next period of seven weeks, from May 12 to June 23, the applications totalled 13,202, and the average weekly to 1886. During a period of 12 weeks from April 14 to June 20, 808 families were served with rations (representing 87,182 persons), at a cost of £lß2l 5s Id. The weekly averages were 1734 families, 7265.16 persons, and the cost, £.151 15s Id. For the seven weeks from May 17 to June 30 4055 bags of coal were distributed at a cost of £506 17s 6d. For the 12 weeks from April 14 to June 30, 2426 garments (women's and children's clothing* were supplied to 421 families, the value being £124 10s, and for the same period medicine and medical fees cost £77 lis Id. Financial Position Mr Williamson said that the finances available for the depot were not sufficient, to allow him to carry on and l'.eep within his allocation. There were accounts which it. was difficult to meet and the depot was gradually getting into debt. To indicate one of the difficulties, he said that, last year the depot gave away and distributed to other depots six tons of potatoes. Now it was not possible to give any out. In his opening remarks to the meetin;,' the chairman 'Mr G. Harper) also referred to the financial position. He said that he had seen that, the Mayor's fund now stood at £SOOO. in cash and promises of en: h. The amount was crowing slowly, but apparently the I mid was not going ahead as quickly as it did last year. ITe suggested that the association ought to discuss the reopening of the pound scheme, to supplement what the association would get. from the Mayor's-fund. 11 seemed that at least two more depots would have to be oncned in the city, said tiie chairman. Those would be very much helped by the pound scheme] He had been told that a depot was needed in Sydenham, while he understood that in Papanui there was a willingness to start the pound scheme, or a receiving depot.

It was also stated that the Woolston depot would be closed this week, with 'he exception of the section handling the distribution of clothing, and thai all recipients at that, depot would have to go to the Ferry road depot. The association decided to open a depot at Sydenham.

Committor Srt l'p Mr \V. \V. Scarff, spcnkiiK'. to the chairman's motion t hat the pound scheme should be reopened, said that lie believed that there was now 100 much work attached to the scheme for the return given. He added that in the second year of the scheme there had been some trouble in getting an adequate response. Mr V. French said that it was essential in the first place to approach the members of the district committees which carried the scheme throush. Speaking for the Riccarton borough committee, a member said that the committee had decided to carry on the scheme this year, and it was working well. The chairman's motion that the scheme be started was withdrawn in favour of another, that a committee should be set up to make contact with thf district committees to sec if the members were prepared to initiate the scheme. • Director's Kcturu The return for the fortnight ended June 30 showed that 4406 families had been assisted (9.082 adults and 9121 children), making a total of 18.203. The cost was ,£407 I6s 9d. The new applications for the fortnight totalled 85. and applications at the central depot 4198 (rations 515, boots 771. and general 2912). Stores bought were valued at £344 5s lOd. and stores given were valued at £43 IGs Id. Expenditure on trucks amounted to £l4 9s 7d. Men's clothing purchased was valued at £ll 10s 9d. sales totalled £l4 2s 6d, and cash deposits £l4 15s 9d. Fifty persons bought 71 articles. Women's and children's clothing bought was valued at £3 10s 9d; 1029 garments, valued at £3B lis 9d, had been distributed to 170 families. Three persons bought articles of furniture. Boots received for repairs numbered 297; 251 pairs were repaired and delivered, and 24 pairs given away or repaired fvec. Expenditure amounting to £7 18s 0d had been incurred for medical fees and supplies. Coal valued at £llO 15s had been distributed. The gross expenditure -for the fortnight was £450 5s Id.

MOVING TO NEW PREMISES CENTRAL HEPOT IN TUAM STREET A start will probably be made tomorrow with the task of shifting the quarters of the Central Relief Depot from Peterborough street to new premises in Tuam street. It was decided at a meeting of the Metropolitan Relief Association yesterday that the r.cw building, which is a warehouse formerly occupied by Messrs Manning and Doreen, should be taken at. a rent of £2 a week. The building is considered well suited to the needs of the depot, with good accommodation for the boot-repairing staff. It was stated by the chairman (Mr George Harper) that while the offer for the Tuam street building had been under consideration he had written to the Minister for Education (the Hon. R Masters), asking if the department could make available for the depot the Teachers' Training College, which had been unoccupied for a long time. He had asked for an urgent reply to the request but had receive ' none. It would be necessary to take some steps to secure money for the rent of the premises, Mr Harper said, and he would himself see that something was started, perhaps in the way of special gifts of money for the purpose. On the motion of Mr W. \V. Scarf! it was decided to rent the building offered to the association.

CRITICISM OF BOARD ' PAYMENTS TO MEN ON SUSTENANCE INCREASES ADVOCATED BY ASSOCIATION The Unemployment Board's sustenance scheme was strongly criticised at a meeting of the Metropolitan Relief Association yesterday afternoon, on the ground that the payments made to the B2 men who come under the scheme are totally inadequate to meet their living expenses. There was also criticism of the board's decision to use £250,000 of its money to help industries. The committee decided to place its views before the Christchurch members of the board. The chairman (Mr G. Harper), when speaking of the financial position of the association, mentioned that the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) had set aside a certain sum to assist the men receiving sustenance. It seemed wrong that the Mayor should have to give that extra assistance, said Mr Harper. It the sustenance payments were not large enough to meet the bare needs of the men receiving them then they ought to be made sufficient. The Unemployment Board seemed to be in a very much better position financially than last year, and the board proposed to spend £250.000 in helping existing industries and starting new ones. All that work would take time, particularly the creation of new industries. In the meantime one could not help thinking that adequate sustenance ought to be given. If that wevc done the fund of the Mayor would benefit and the money would be released for the purposes for which it was subscribed. Str.in on Fund The director of the depot (Mr T. 11. Cape-Williamson) slated that in one case, of a man with three children, after paying his rent out of the sustenance money received, he had had only Is Gd left. The Mayor had given a certain sum with which the depot was able to give an extra ration of 2s 6d. In most of the cases where sustenance was received the men were not getting sufficient money. But the Mayor's fund could not stand the strain of continuing the extra payment. "The plight of some of these B2 men is something to cause us to hang our heads with shame," said the Rev. S. J. Cooper. "In my own district there is quite a lot of that condition known as respectable poverty." Mr Cooper moved a resolution, that the association express its alarm at the position of the B2 men and press the Government to grant immediate assistance to them. He did so, he said, because he believed that the receipts from the unemployment tax were greater than they had been since the unemployment scheme was started. It was a shame that £250.000 should be appropriated to provide something which would not give any benefit, perhaps, until two years had passed. The people were in need of the money, which was collected as a tax, and the Government was bound to supply it. Already some children were going .-.bout obviously under-nourished, and I something ought to be done.

Returned Men Mr J. \V. Crampton seconded the motion. He said that he had had specific cases before him of B2 mean not getting sufficient money on which to live. One man received 21s 6d in sustenance, and after paying rent had Cs left, to provide for a wife and two children. Other cases were somewhat similar. The shame of the thing was that those men were returned men who were suffering from some injury. "I had it in mind to suggest that wo should ask that these men should receive what they would have seci/red under relief. The government which' was going to do so much for these men has cast In cm aside to die or starve in (he gutter," said Mr Crampton.

Taxation Reduction The Rev. L. M. Rogers said that it. seemed iniquitous to propose the restoration of portion of Ihe taxation ■it the expense of sick people. It ought to be the well man on the sustenance rate, and not the sick man. The well man could go out and look for other work where the sick man could not. "I am satisfied that the sustenance allowance is not sufficient to keep the men going," said Mr W. W. Scarff, who suggested that the association should wait on the Christchurch members of the Unemployment Board, and find cut what arrangements had been made for the sustenance men. Mr Scarff said that when Mr W. Bromley had gone into the position he had said that ho was going to make certain arrangements. Mr Scarff's suggestion was adopted, and the resolution carried, it also beins decided to send copies of the resolution to the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbesi. to the Minister for Employment ft he Hon. A. Hamilton), and to the Minister for Finance 'the Ri. Hon. J. G. Coatcs).

QUESTIONS IN HOUSE BURDEN ON RELIEF FINDS tFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 10. The Unemployment Board's action in placing a large number of Christchurch men on sustenance rates, including young married men with families, was criticised by Mr D. G. Sullivan (Lab., Avon) in the House of Representatives to-day, when he asked the Minister for Employment (the Hon. A. Hamilton) whether he would arrange with the board to withdraw the order. Mr Sullivan said that as H was impossible lor men to live on relief pay, it was as clear as daylight that the placing of these men on sustenance equal to half-pay must lead to increased privation and undernourishment. The action would also throw an utterly impossible burden on the funds for the relief of distress, which were at present at the point of collapse.

In the .absence of the Minister, Mr Sullivan agreed to postpone his urgent question until to-morrow. He said he would also ask the Minister whether it was true that 6045 carcases of mutton bought by the Unemployment Beard as food for relief workers, and stored at Die Imlay freezing works, had not been used for their original purpose but had been exported to England, thus depriving the unemployed concerned'of food which they needed badly. If the statement was true, did the Minister approve of "this extraordinary action by the board" and why was the action taken?

REQUESTS FOR BETTER CONDITIONS TWO RESOLUTIONS CARRIED AT AUCKLAND U'HEiS ASSOCIATION - TELLGBAM.) AUCKLAND, July 10. A large meeting in the Town Hall to-night passed two resolutions calling on .the Government to provide better conditions fc>r the unemployed, and urging Parliament to devote the time saved by the shortening of the address-in-reply debate to a discussion of the unemployment situation with a view to applying a remedy that will improve the conditions of the unemploved and their dependants. The

meeting was convened by a citizens' committee which has been studying the problem. The speakers included the Mayor, Mr G. W. Hutchison, Dr. Liston, Roman Catholic Bishop, and the Rev. W. W. Avcrill. The following resolution was passed:—"That this public meeting of citizens of Auckland protests against the inadequate living allowance provided by the Unemployment Board. This meeting further urges the Government to co-operate with local bodies with a view to absorbing the unemployed on standard rates of pay for all work done, and to pay sustenance at a rate not less than the present rate for relief work to all who cannot bo thus absorbed." A second resolution was: "That this public meeting of Auckland citizens urges Cabinet and members of Parliament to devote the time saved through the shortened debite on the address-in-reply to a dicussion upon the unemployment problem as it exists now, with the express object in view of applying a remedy that will effectively improve conditions of relief workers, sustenance men, and their wives and children."

APPEAL FOR MATTRESSES The Mayor desires to make an appeal to the public for mattresses, as there are very many applications being received for them. Mr Sullivan said yesterday that many people had to sleep on the floor, an unhappy situation at any time, but particularly so in the cold winter months. In some cases there were numbers of children in the home who had to share the privation. The Mayor stated that he would be glad if those having such articles to ofier would communicate with the Central Relief Depot.