RAPID INCREASE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 132, 7 June 1939, Page 17

RAPID INCREASE

CALLS FOR RELIEF

CITY MISSION

FUNDS REQUIRED

The Social Security provisions were not meeting all needs and consequently there would be calls on the City Mission tor relief during the present winter, the Rev. N. F. E. Robertshawe said when presiding over the annual meeting of the Mission last night. The demands made on vicarages at the present time were greater than at any time since the depression and that was the position in other parts of New Zealand as well as in Wellington. The meeting was attended by about one hundred persons. Mr. Robertshawe said? he had been fairly closely associated with the Mission for four or five years, but it was only during the past year that he had represented the Standing Committee on the board. The Rev, H. Squires had been called to the Mission work and had found that there was a great deal to do. It h^a been found necessary to appoint an assistant and Tr. Leonard Armitagp had beei chosen lor the position and was present on the platform. The Mission had had an extremely happy year and the accounts had been kept up by sustained interest and marked generosity in spite of "--he additional taxation put on to provide ror people through Social Security. The Social. Security fund was providing money but in many cases the fund did not meet the position and every vicarage was having calls made upon it During the last we«_k he had been visited by about half a dozen men asking for assistance. Either because of the increased cost of living or lack of ,vork. the de- j mand for relief was greater than tj any time since the depression and during the winter efforts would nave to be made to find funds to meet the needs of those in distressed circumstances. ILLNESS OF CHAIRMAN. Mr. Robertshawt expressed regret at the continued illness of the chairman of the Mission Board. Mr. J. W. Henderson. The Bishop of Wellington (the Rt. Rev. H. St. Barbe Holland) I was also absent recovering fro .-> an [indisposition, but '--c knew the Mission was in safe hands. The honorary treasurer (Mr. Rus- j sell Kemp) said that he would not say the finances of the Mission were in good condition because more u.oney was always needed. If the work of I the Mission was to be extended more money would havp to be raised. [ The statement of accounts w-'s adopted and a vote of thanks to the treasurer was carried by acclamation. Mr. Squires said that the building of a boys' hostel would be gone on j with and it was probable that the I Mission would finish the coming year with a heavy overdraft, but he was sure the people of Wellington would find the money needed. The Mission, he said, existed for a twofold purpose —rescue and preventive work. The Mission had already launched out on work for the young people and more could be done. A room had been provided for girls and he wanted to see it used by all girls who wanted a place where they could rest. The Stop Out Club was establishing a gymnasium for the boys, and a Police Court Mission had been started and had been used by the Bench to take charge of young men and boys who would otherwise have been sent to prison. There were hundreds of boys who could be helped if contact could be made with them. The Mission had also taken over 'prison work because there was a connecting link between the prison and the Mission in the men's shelter. Men coming out of prison could be helped to re-establish themselves, and could be placed in employment once more. ASSISTANCE STILL NEEDED. Some people were saying the assistance work of the Mission was no longer necessary now that everyone was paying tax •to provide Social I Security, but that was not so. There were old men on Social Security who had only 6d a day for food after their rent and other outgoings were met. The only place where a meal could be I secured for sixpence was the City I Mission, and each day one hundred .! meals were served. The men's shelter had twenty-seven I beds and they were filled every night, I and every day a dozen or more men came to the Mission for help An average of ten men a night were turned away because there was no room; for them. Those men wanted work, but there was supposed to be no unemployment. Their statements had been - checked and found to be 6orrect. There were at least forty people daily using the Mission's old clothes shop. "Is there any need for them to do j this?" he asked. "Everyone is get-' I ting £5 a week. Are they? This-is what they are getting." Mr Squires then quoted cases of families on the Social Security Fund to show that heln was still essential Mr Squires also stressed the need for a new boys' shelter, and the great need for contribution? and assistance jto enable the Mission to .continue in lits work The Government had anjnounced thai anomalies in the Social 'Security Act would be removed, but lin the meantime someone had to bear thp burden. I. Mr. E Newman and Mesdames Robert? and Ahem were elected as representative? of the Mission congregation on the Mission council