DISTRESS IN THE CITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19718, 18 August 1927, Page 12

DISTRESS IN THE CITY.

SOCIAL WORKERS BUSY. SHELTER AND SOUP KITCHEN. FINDING 'CLOTHES AND FUEL. Although spring has made its appearance, calls upon charitable workers in the city are little less heavy than they wore in the depth of winter. The Labour Department's list last Saturday showed 806 men in need of work, as compared with 823 a week earlier. This state of affairs is reflected in the demand for clothing, fuel, and other aid for poor families and individuals.

The shelter in Lower Federal Street, conducted by the Rev. Jasper Calder and the Anglican City Mission, had 86 inhabitants yesterday instead of between 114 and 118, which has been the usual number for some weeks. Mr (..-aider's explanation of this is that a certain number of men have gone to work m the country. "There is still next to no work to be had in tow-n," he said in answer to an inquiry "I am sorry to state that we have a number of genuine unem ployables to deal with—men who have been so long idle that they cannot bear the idea of work. We could not send these men into the country, even if there were work offering for them. The nutlook for the man with a family who genuinely cannot leave town is just as bad as ever it was."

Tbo City Mission's soup kitchen is still hard at work, and is visited by hundreds daily In common with the Salvation Army, Sister Esther, and other relief agencies, the mission is hard put to it to find clothes for needy and work - less men "We have not much trouble about clothing for women and girls," said Mr Calder, "but we badly need men's suits. If a man can afford to pay something for a suit, say 15s, we let him, and the proceeds are used to help those who are more in need. If a man really is destitute and we have clothes on hand we give him some." Speaking for the Salvation Army, Staff-Captain Davis stated yesterday that there was still a great deal of distress in the city. He had been able to place some young stowaways in farm employment in the past few days, but there, remained the problem of placing older men who had no experience of farm work and little aptitude for it. The Salvation Army was doing what it could to provide really destitute men with shelter, but it was at a disadvantage since the burning of the industrial home at Epsom some time ago.