NOVEL RELIEF SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20924, 14 July 1931, Page 11

NOVEL RELIEF SCHEME.

APPEAL IN CHRISTCHURCH. RESIDENTS* " POUND " GIFTS. WHOLE CITY ORGANISED. Outstanding success has attended the "pound scheme" inaugurated in Christchurch for the relief of unemployed. Under tho scheme householders undertake to donate a pound of some commodity eacl) week, and this is collects'! by about 1800 voluntary collectors and taken to a central depot, where it is sorted for dis-

tribution. The School Committees' Association organised the scheme, at the request of tho Citizens' Relief Committeo, and meetings were held throughout the city. Collecting is now proceeding in 29 areas, with an average of 60 collectors in each area. Householders are first canvassed by volunteers, who make a list of those willing to contribute. A central depot, which includes an office and largo storeroom, was established, and almost immediately donations commenced to pour in. The collections are made mainly by senior schoolboys, Boy Scouts, Gii'l Guides and members of Toe H. Tho collectors iii each district arc under tho supervision of representatives appointed by school committees. All assistance is given voluntarily, even at the central depot, where helpers doing clerical work are at their desks for long hours. In the storeroom three men, employed under the No. 5 scheme, sort the goods as they come in and pack them for despatch to the distributing depots. A bootmaker is also employed to repair the boots and shoes given. Ho has no lack of work. Other helpers in the store givo their services voluntarily as frequently as possible. Goods of every conceivable sort are given to the collectors and sent in to the central depot by carriers, who do that part of the work without charge. Then comes tho task of sorting. General groceries, firing, clothing, vegetables and money are included. Once sorted and checked tho goods are packed and sent out to the depots of the organisations which are giving relief in Christchurch. No relief is given from tho central depot of the pound scheme, for it was established as'a distributing centre only. Tho goods are apportioned in fair shares according to the number of distressed people for which each depot is catering. Each collector is issued with a printed sheet. When' a donation is mado the nature of it is entered on the sheet. The donor signs the sheet, which is then initialled by the collector. The signature of the chairman or secretary of the district committee is also on the sheet, which is then subject to audit. The sheets are all numbered and each one must be accounted for. When the goods are distributed the assistant at the depot notes tho name and address of tho man or woman obtaining relief. This record is sent in to the central depot and entered under a card-index system. Overlapping is thus prevented.

MEN DEMANDING WORK. POSITION IN WELLINGTON. MINISTER TO' MAKE INQUIRIES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] | WELLINGTON, Monday. The statement that there were 10C0 unemployed in Wellington who had received no relief work at all was made when a deputation consisting of Wellington members of Parliament and the Wellington Unemployment Committee waited upon the P:-ime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, the Minister of Labour, the Hon. S. G. Smith, and the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, to-day. The deputation asked that funds be provided so that these men could be given work.

The Prime Minister said if 1000 men could get no work, the position was serious. He would go into the matter with the Minister of Labour. Mr. Smith recalled that a scheme had previously been submitted whereby camps were to be provided for single men in the country and married men were to receive rationed work according to the size of the family. He had had a special investigation made to see if that scheme were practicable. If applied to the Dominion, it would cost £22,160, and, for Wellington alone, £1974 a week. The Minister suggested that probably a small committee, consisting of the Mayor, a representative of the Wellington members of Parliament, and a representative of the Unemployed Committee could discuss the position with himself. The deputation agreed with this proposal.

CHARGE OF FRAUD FAILS.

MAORI AND RELIEF WORK. FRESH INFORMATION POSSIBLE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PI? ESS ASSOCIATION.] WAKGANUI, Monday. An interesting case was dealt with before Mr. J. H. Salcnon, S.M., whes a Maori, Busby William Matthews, was charged with intent to defraud in that he obtained from the Unemployment Board three separate amounts of £1 17s 6d by means of false pretences by falsely representing that ho was married and supporting a wife and two children. The evidence disclosed that the defendant had no dependants and was in receipt of a war pension of £3 4s a month. Mr. W. J. Treadwell contended there was no contract between the defendant and the Unemployment Board and that the money was secured not as the result of false pretences but for work. Workwas not capable of being stolen. The magistrate said it was clear that the defendant did not obtain the money by false pretences. He obtained only the right to work. The only thing of which the defendant was guilty was obtaining a contract of service by means of a false representation. Mr. Salmon dismissed the information and suggested that an amended one might be laid.