NO HOME AND NO WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18176, 23 August 1922, Page 11

NO HOME AND NO WORK.

DERELICTS AT LORNE ST. ALL EAGEE FOR EMPLOYMENT SALVATION ARMY RELIEF. The work of unemployment relief carried out by the Salvation Army at the marquee in Lome Street shows no signs of slackening; rather the demand for assistance by workless and homeless men is on the increase. Fifty free beds- are provided under canvas, and at 6.10 p.m. yesterday all the accommodation was filled and men were being turned away. The sfihy officials stated that on many nights two such marquees oould be filled by able-bodied men who had no other shelter which they could seek. • Free meals are also provided by the relief station. Since the opening of the tent, 2£ months ago, the average number of meals provided has risen steadily until the average is now 140, and 170 on Sunday. On a single day in July, 217 meals were provided. Only two meals are prepared daily, breakfast and dinner, or breakfast and tea. Stew, mashed potatoes, cauliflower, tea and bread was the fare last night, while breakfast was composed of porridge, bread, treacle and cocoa, with any stew remaining from the previous night. , j -a. A visit to the majquee dormitory, which is also the dining hall, showed its occupants to be a good class of meh, mostly young, clean, healthy fellows, whose only •muMi ia *n find vonrk for their own sup-

trouble is to nna wont ior men u«u port. They were all fully appreciative oi what was being done for them and the manner of its doing, but, as one of their number remarked, it was not heartening " to look at the young blood, and muscle and sinew going to waste." Seafaring Men Predominate. Necessity brings all classes into this brotherhood of distress—farmers, butchers, painters, carpenters, unskilled labourers, and seamen being occupations represented in the tent last night. But the class most numerously represented ever since the shelter opened has been seafaring men. As an official put it, " the seamen, like- the poor, we have always with us." A diminution in their numbers occurred recently,-• but again they represent about 50 per cent, of the population under canvas at Lome Street. Men have gone out to relief works; but there are always more ready to take their place. Coming to individual cases, the men ( were all found eager for work of any description. Inquiries had recently been, made for men for the country, but the demand was always for experienced milkers, said one man who had tramped to the city from Cambridge, and he was passed over. His only job m recent weeks had been accepted yesterday, three hours in Karangahape Road as a. sandwich loan for 7s 6d. Othera declared there was as little work in the country, as hadl been discovered in tfampsfrom such various points as Taihape, Whakatane, Hunterville, and Raetihi. One man said he had not found work between Napier and Gisborne, and from the latter place the patriotic society had assisted him to ship to Auckland.

Two " Old Inhabitants."

The two "oldest inhabitants' of the marquee were Liverpool seamen, and said that in 24 months they had only secured two days' work, coaling a fish trawler, for which they received 15s and 16s 3d a day. Both of these men-one was only 24 years old—said they had a wife and two chil-dren-at Liverpool. " How are they doing while we are branded here?" was a question. Several other seamen hading from Liverpool had stones little better to tell. A New Zealand seaman, who claimed to have been 20 years on the coast, said ho never knew work so. hard to obtain as in recent months. In the last three months earned £2 at odd jobs and he had walked 350 miles, from Gtsborne to Auckland, to get that. This account of themselves was confirmed by «n army official. He isaid there were only one or two " wasters,' and very few old men or grumblers among his charges.' He pointed to the neat way in S the c£ P beds, and blanket* were arranged, and the cleanhaess and order of everything so soon after dinner had been cleared away He added that there was cause for satisfsaction in the way in which the comnussanat for so large a number was kept supplied, often by gifts from business houses in the Sty. tKus ail the meat was grvep CTatuitously by two large firms, who Undertook the supply in *}?***? ™ o " th £ Similarly cocoa had been the beverage at all meals for six weeks, being given free of cost. Now they were going on to tea. A luxury which was enjoyed twice weekly was " duff;*' on Wednesdays and Sundays Generally the meals were on the lines of camp fare, except that only two were now provided daily. A total of 12,000 free meals had! been dispensed since opening the marquee. . -1