POVERTY IN CHRISTCHURCH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 11 June 1926, Page 5

POVERTY IN CHRISTCHURCH

MUCH OF IT ATTRIBUTED TO . v SELFISHNESS. (By Telegraph.—Special.to The Mail.)...' -.. CHRISTCHURCH, June 10. Denouncing employers who give light work to strong, able-bodied men while less robust, or partly disabled men walk about idle, a social worker to-day declared that .much of the distress in the city existed because big healthy men were holding down the jobs that should be given to those who, tb--oug.li disability, were unable to, do heavy work. "I .know of.a number of cases in the city,'' -she said, "where such light jobs" as liftmen. are held by strong,'; healthy men. This also applies to many married women who have husbands and families working arid bringing in good wages,, but who go to work themselves, selfishly holding jobs which would prevent widows and other deserving eases from having to apply to charitable organisations for help." According to this social worker there is far more unemployment among gins and women this year .than has been the «ase for some years, and a great deai or distress is resulting. ' Selfishness Is responsible for a; great deal of the ■ poverty which my organisation has to deal with," she said. "In the course of my duties I come across dozens of cases of old people now past the working age who have grown-up families who are giving them no assistance at all. In some instances I know it is hard for the sons and daughters with large families of their own to give to rheij aged parents' support, but there are few who cannot give at least a vouple of shillings a week. I know ot several such cases where Ihere are fa-mi-lies of grown-up sons who are leaving their mothers and fathers lo appeal for charity for coal, blankets and food." Regarding selfishness, she continued: "This also applied to some employers who paid miserable wages to indigent women who did office cleaning work for them. Here is a case in point. An old lady whose husband is incapacitated starts work cleaning out in a city industrial concern every morning at 7.30. She works steadily till noon and does this every day, including Saturday, for the handsome sum of £1 a week. She used to get more, but a new manager was appointed and he cut her washes down to the present very low level. This is all she has to keep the wolf from the door. Her little home, luckily, is her own and is kept spotlessly clean, but tlu only covering on her bed consisted 'of wheat sacks, neatly joined together and washed, until finally she was forced to appeal lo charily. She is unable to get other work, try as she will. And this is iot an isolated case. We arret with many like this, where the people hold out till the last) before asking for charity."