CASES OF DISTRESS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 16, 20 January 1914, Page 2

CASES OF DISTRESS.

EX-STRIKERS' ■ FAMILIES

VERGE OF DESTITUTION.

MEN CANNOT GET WORK

Careful inquiries show that there is much distress in the city of Auckland

among married' men who recently went on strike, who have now lost their occupations, and.whose domestic responsibilities make rt impossible for them to seek work elsewhere. , There is only a very small sum available to the Strike Committee, and it is far from being sufficient to relieve all, of rhe most pressing oases of distress (states tihe Herald).

In many cases small sums are being advanced to prevent actual hunger, .but no attempt can be made to aid _strikers in paying their rent. Bailiffs have been put into numerous houses, and in some cases evictions have taken place, but no case is known of agents having taken possession of a man's furniture.

, One private bailiff has been so impressed' with certain pathetic cases of poverty' that he has paid out of Ms own,pocket sufficient rent to procure houses for indigent persons, and he is in communication with country friends witih a view to obtaining employment for men whom lie iregards as the victims of unfortunate circumstances,. and whose, families are faced, with the diread of finding themselves .at.any moment homeless, and hungry. This- man1 is a quite disinterested party, and had no sympathy with the reoen.it strike.

On Thursday morning, a man who has: a family of 13 children, and therefore cannot leave the city, had to be given aid. Another, whose family numbers five, said that he had not eaten food since 3 p.m. the previous day. There was a little food in his house, but it was for his children. Very meagre additions are now berng r received to the relief fund, but on Thursday morning a business man, aftier making a searching cross-ex-aminatibn -6f "the officials, handed over £10 for the relief of the innocent sufferers.

On account of the disorganisation that, has taken place in the .ranks'ot the watersiders who went out on strike, it is impossible to give an estimate of the number of men in need of" pressing employment, but a meeting was to be held on Friday afternoon to ascertain the position.