DISTRESS IN THE CITY

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21290, 9 October 1934, Page 16

DISTRESS IN THE CITY

♦ . CONTROL OF RELIEF HANDED OVER METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION TO TAKE CHARGE It has been decided that the Metropolitan Relief Association shall undertake complete responsibility for the relief of distress in Christchurch. A proposal to this effect was made by the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.), and has been accepted by the association. The Mayor's proposal, which is subject to the approval of the Christchurch City Council, provides that the activities of the association should be subject to the inspection of auditors. In a letter sent to the association Mr Sullivan stated:— "As I am leaving the city for some weeks. I am anxious to complete matters in relation to the administration of the relief of distress before I leave. To that end it is my intention to submit to you a proposal that your organisation should undertake complete responsibility for the relief of distress in Christchurch. My proposal is to make the association a grant of a capital sum, representing the great bulk of the resources now available, of between £3OOO and £SOOO, the grant carrying with it the following conditions:— (1) "That monthly statements of the expenditure shall be submitted to the Mayor and the City Council. <2) "That the Mayor shall and will appoint an auditor or auditors with full authority and the right to call for and examine all books and documents that they might require. (3) "That all accounts be kept in the form to be determined by the auditors whom the Mayor may appoint." Sum Reserved Mr Sullivan explained that he intended to appoint some reputable lirm of accountants to undertake the auditing, with a request that all the activities of this association should be subject to the inspection of the accountants. Hetook it for granted that the Metropolitan Relief Association would appoint a small and competent finance committee to act with its own treasurer in supervising the accounts. Mr Sullivan added that he was reserving out of the money available sufficient to continue the support necessary by the Mayoress's Baby Fund, the Industrial Home at Addington. and to support any other charitable a;:i.ivity which his judgment might determine. A qualification made by the Mayor was that the funds having been placed at the disposal of the Mayor by the City Council, subject to his personal administration, the proposals in the letter must be subject to the council's approval. Members of the association met the Mayor yesterday morning and accepted the proposals. Those who attended included Mr George Harper, the Rev. P. Revel 1. the Rev. Father Maguire, Messrs J. W. Crampton, V. French. F. W. J. Belton, T. Milliken, and T. W. Cape-Williamson, the honorary director. Members of the association expressed high appreciation of Mr Sullivan's services in the relief of distress and described his action in handing over the administration of relief as a generous t;i::\ Mr Sullivan was assured that the money would be as carefully administered as he could possibly wish. Members expressed the sincere hope that as president of their organisation the Mayor would find time to attend the meetings occasionally. Mr RevelJ said that the Mayor had endured great strain for three years and a half and had faced his responsibilities in a ■spirit of greatness.

MORE LIBERAL HELP ASKED RESOLUTION SENT TO MINISTER The resolutions which were adopted at the public meeting held on Sunday have been forwarded to the Minister for Employment fthe Hon. J. A. Youngs. The resolutions asked that there should be work at standard rates of pay for the unemployed, or that lull sustenance should be paid. In writing to the Minister, the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) explained that the meeting was not to demonstrate against the Government, but rather to show to the Government and to Parliament that then; was a widespread feeling that greater efforts, should be made to improve the position of the relief workers and the women and children dependent, upon them. The idea w,.is (hat; the demonstration should be civic- and citizen in character, and it was fell that, it the Government knew there existed such a widespread sentiment: in favour of better conditions for the unemployed on. the part of citizen*, it would then know, too. that any move it. made in the direction of greater generosity had the backing of the people. Referring to the protest made against sending married men from New BrighI ton into camp id the Ashley when there was work in the borough, tne Mayor stated in his letter that the i meeting was most emphatically of the I opinion that married men should not be sent to camp unless the conditions oil the camp were such that they could take their families with them, and they could receive standard rates of pay.

INTERNAL LOAN FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUGGESTION OF J'ALMERSTON NORTH MEETING (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELiSUBAMJ PALMERSTON N.. October 3. A public meeting to-day resolved to urge that the Government should re-, sume the Public Works programme and, if necessary, raise an internal loan for the purpose; that subsidies should be paid to those secondary industries calculated to absorb to the greatest degrees workers on the Unemployment Board's funds; that the Unemployment Board should consider the payment of a subsidy in respect of repairs to small buildings; that the Government should close the No. 5 scheme; and that unemployed be allowed to earn up to £3 before their allocation is affected.