DIFFICULT TIMES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 118, 20 April 1931, Page 6

DIFFICULT TIMES.

OPPOSITION TO DOLE PA\ TMENTS.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 18. Unequivocal opposition to payment of the dole ever being made in the Dominion was expressed by Commissioner Cunningham, Officer Commanding the Salvation Army in New Zealand, at a meeting at the Town Hall this afternoon. The meeting was in connection with the Salvation. Army Congress. Commissioner Cunningham S . U S»" gested that land colonies be established about five miles outside the, four centres possessing comfortable dormitory accommodation. If this were done, when men approached the mayors of the respective cities for relief" the latter could say, “just a few miles outside the city there is a place for just such men as you.” “It is unthinkable that the dole system, which has demoralised millions of people in England, should be allowed to enter this fair land,” continued the Commissioner. “The

Sroblem should be faced with courage. ven in this generation we should be brave enough to say with St. Paul: ‘The man who will not work shall not eat.’ ” The Commissioner said that he hoped the time would speedily arrive when every able-bodied man in the Dominion would be. employed. The Army had found that the best results were" obtained in dealing with broken men by putting them on the land. It could be expected that matters would be even worse during the present winter. He had even heard that women in Wellington were sleeping out in the open. “If that is the case,” he added, “whether they are good, had or indifferfent none of us can see women lying down to sleep on the bare ground. If the Government will find me the money I will undertake to have a shelter erected to accommodate from twenty to twenty-five women and have it open within a week. There must be no women sleeping out in New Zealand.”

The speaker mentioned that last year the Salvation Army had supplied 450,000 beds and 1,200,000 meals in New Zealand.

Lieutenant-Colonel Toomer referred to the social work and emergency work performed by the Army. He mentioned that 500 babies were born in Army maternity homes in the past 12 months. Many of the mothers were quite young. The Mayor, Mr G. A. Troup, referred to the Army’s good work, mentioning that £IOOO was donated to the earthquake relief fund.