UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 140, 10 December 1931, Page 11

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

A GROWING BURDEN

"MORALE BEING SPOILED"

(By Telwjraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post")

CHRISTCHURCH,, 9th Decembor.

Mr. W.S. WhartQn, secretary to the North Canterbury Hospital Board, told a reporter to-day that' his board was facing a deficit of up to £20,000 for the year. Mr. Wharton said that there was for his board a deficiency of from £10,000 to £12,000 on outdoor relief, and possibly a , deficiency would bo shown under other heads, for money was very hard to collect at present. Tho heavy drain on funds for outdoor relief waa caused by the fact that the Unemployment Board was not facing its.responsibilities, said Mr. Wharton, and hospital boards had to help the unemployed. Tho Canterbury board was now being fpreed to pay interest oii its overdraft at the bank, and this was proving a heavy burden, yet no help was coming from tho Government. There, was a prospective deficit for this year, including tha amount spent .on charitable , aid,. of up to £20,000, unless tho Government c«rno to the assistance'■ of the board. Last week tho total number of orders issued for rations alone was 770, and unemployed men,'as well as ordinary charitable aid recipients, were getting food beyond thoso orders. Money grants und grants for rent: also were made. With dcmiin ds by tho unemployed on the board increasing the board "would soon be spending something like £4000 a month on relief. This was a disastrous state of affai», and the morale of those unemployed w*l being spoiled, both to their own detriment and that of tho country.