RELIEF OF DISTRESS

Evening Star, Issue 20863, 5 August 1931, Page 12

RELIEF OF DISTRESS

TO THE EDITOR. {sir, —Circumstances have arisen during the past few days which compel us, in the interests of the residents of St. Hilda, to crave a little space in your columns to comment on a recent decision of the Mayor of Dunedin in the matter of dispensing relief in the borough area, and the public is entitled to the facts as they exist. Before proceeding further, let _ us quote a letter, dated July 31, received from Mr Black by Saturday morning’s mail, and this reads:— His Worship the Mayor, ,T. Beattie, Esq., St. Hilda. _ Dear Sir, —I would bo glad if you would take up the matter of opening a depot at St. Hilda or attending in some way to those in need of relief, especially those working under No. 5 scheme. We have quite a number of St. Hilda residents calling at the depot for relief, and as the response to our financial appeal was very poor it looks as if the depot will have to be closed at an early date, unless some money comes to hand. I regret being unable to continue helping the people from St. Hilda,, but wo are limiting our efforts to coping with distress in the city itself. You could appeal for help from your citizens through the papers. I find the appeal for 11b of groceries per week is bringing quite a lot to us from various parts of Dunedin, and possibly your people would take this up enthusiastically. The position is so desperate that I regret having to state that I will have to refuse relief to all people from St. Hilda on and after Monday next. It would give mo great pleasure to feed everybody, bub unfortunately the people are not sending in the 'money or goods to cope with the position.—Yours faithfully, (Signed) R. S. Black, Mayor. Now wo venture to say that Mr Black has once again not acted in a manner commensurate with the responsibility and dignity of office so conducive to friendly relations in that, without even timely warning, he closed the door to those in distress in St. Hilda, and furthermore ho fails to nekknowledge the assistance St. Hilda people have rendered both in service and cash. There are several questions on which we shall be pleased_ to have Mr Black enlighten the public. _ Does ho not consider the borough residents have supported the movement and his depots in particular? Does ho consider that the various grants which have been made toward the relief of distress have been solely for those residents in the city area, or that it was the intention of the Rugby Union that the proceeds of tho charity match, which was attended by thousands of St. Hilda people, was for tho benefit of the city area solely? Docs he consider that tho grant from the trustees of the Dunedin Savings Bank was for the same purpose? Does _ho forget that the collection oh Capping Day was liberally supported by St. Hilda people? Most important of all, docs ho think that tho people of St. Hilda, who so liberally responded to tho commercial travellers’ drive of a few weeks ago did so with tho intention that those in its own area should not participate in the results? 1 And, for tho present, docs he consider that the various donations received from business people generally have been for those only who live in the city area, forgetting that some of 9,000 residents in the borough are patrons of the city businesses? Lastly, does Mr Black consider it a act to close tho door on any person in want of food without notice? Wo say such action was not even humane. —Wo are, etc., John Beat tie, Mayor. H. 11. Leaky, Dep. Mayor. Sfc. Hilda, August 4.