RELIEF WORK

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 151, 23 December 1918, Page 3

RELIEF WORK

LABOUR AND THE EPIDEMIC

There was a representative gathering at the Trades Hall yesterday morning as the outcome of a circular from the Tramways Union, asking that representatives from the various Labour organisations should meet their delegates, for the purpose of discussing what action Labour should take to see that the necessitous cases arising out of the late epidemic are given assistance in accordance with Labour views. Mr. W. Maddison was in the chair, and referred to the necessity of provision being made to enable the remaining parent to maintain the children, with a view to their having the fullest enjoyment of the "home" life, rather than becoming a mere number in a public institution.

Mrs. Aitken referred to the difficulties mothers suffered in regard to access to their children when they were boarded out.

Mi. P. Fraser, M.P., urged that all needy cases should be reported at once; also that the stigma of "charity" should he eliminated. The Charitable Aid Board needed reorganising. The hardest cases of all were those of widows with three or four children, who were not themselves in a fit state to engage in any labour outside the home. He suggested that a permanent committee be set up to deal with all cases of distress. The Group Committee of which he was a member did not understand, and did not appreciate the Labour viewpoint in all its aspects. He would also suggest a deputation to Ministers to place Labour's views before them and ascertain what they were prepared to do,

Mrs. Snow said that in some homes the "boaaded-out" child was often made a slave to the other children, or became a mere drudge. They should ask for 30s per week for the mother, end 10s 6d a week for each child ; the present cost of living demanded it. Men did not understand the coat of maintenance.

Mr. Swindell (Cabinetmakers) and Mr. Lee (A.S.R.S.) deprecated the splitting up of homes, and the former urged that as the Government could find money for men and bullets, they should also find money for distressed cases such as they had before them at the present time. »

Mrs Beck said that mothers could not go out. to work and do justice to the children at the same time. If the children were boarded out, the mother was compelled to obtain a permit in order to visit them, which was not right.

The Chairman pointed out the inadequacy of the widows' pension. Something of a much more substantial nature was needed.

Mrs. Snow mentioned the case of a girl, boarded out, who was extremely intelligent, and wished for further education, which was vetoed by the inspecting officer, who stated that the girl "must" go into domestic service. A proposal to set up a permanent committee was carried, and the following were elected to the committee:—Mesdames Aitken, Snow, Beck, Messrs. M. ,T. Reardon, Parlane, P. Fraser, M.P., Hancock, Lee, Cornwell, Maddison, Callaghan, and Howell, with power to add to theii number. Mr. Reardon was appointed chairman and Mr. Cornwell secretavv.

Arrangements were made for a deputation to Ministers.

Tho Chairman suggested that the basis of claims should be a similar provision to that made , for soldiers' dependents.

It was decided to obtain the co-opera-tion of nil Labour organisations throughout the Dominion.