UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

Evening Star, Issue 21711, 4 May 1934, Page 3

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —it is with a feeling of relief 1 read in to-night’s paper tae report of the Auckland Itehcl Committee’s recommendation as to the way to go about things, and can only hope something happens in the very near future ere some of us falter. Take my case, for example. 1 have been on relief (spare the word!) for fifteen mouths now, and at present am receiving an average weekly wage (?) of £1 is Cfd, out of which i am supposed to put away 18s for rent and 3s 6d for rates; total, £1 Is 6d. 1 then have the sum of three farthings a week to feed and clothe rny wife, child, and self. Besides, there are lodge, house insurance, furniture insurance, etc., and last, but by no means least, the usual quarterly instalment of 5s ,is due this month. Can you tell mo how it can bo done? It seems as if we are to be driven to commit a crime so that we can go to gaol, where wo shall at least get three* meals a day. How many crimes are being committed in this fair land on' account of this niggardly way of treating human beings no one knows. However, two cases from to-night’s ‘ Star will serve as an example Stolen plane crash. Two shabbily-dressed youths, one aged twenty, the other eighteen, appeared in court. The prosecuting . detective said the accused had walked from Matamata to Auckland looking for work, and for about a week had been sleeping out.” Ah, if only a war broke out to-morrow, would these two young chaps be shabbily dressed, or would they be refused a meal if they walked into a recruiting 'Tice? * I wonder! Now for the other case, and a Dunedin one at that. Criminally bent. Two burglars sentenced—one unemployed, .aged thirty-two, with a family of five young children struggling along on 37s 6d a week. Again it seems a case of sheer downright bad luck, as according to the report of the case the accused was anything but a shirker, aa will be proved by the various ways he tried to get on before the effects of unemployment had gripped him. ject in writing is to see if the religious leaders, social workers, business men. and all others interested can come together and try to cut out some of the cancerous growth which is growing up adn threatens to overwhelm some of ns. The sooner the original Sustenance Act of 1930 is put into operation the sooner will our debts be paid, and the sooner will purchasing power increase. If the original Act was thought necessary in 1930. how much more necessary is it in 1934?—1 am, etc., New Zealander. May 2.