UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21273, 29 August 1932, Page 11

UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM

FUNDS FOR RELIEF WORK SHORTAGE IN WELLINGTON APPEAL MADE TO GOVERNMENT [BY TELEGRAPH —rRESS ASSOCIATION ] WELLINGTON. Sunday An urgent appeal has been made by the Wellington City Council to the Government for additional assistance for unemployment relief. It is feared that unless further finances are made available tho council will be unable to continue its relief work beyond the end of next month. For several months tho council has been doing everything possible to make the most of the funds at its disposal. It was forced to approach tho Government some time ago in order to secure authority for tho uso of £13,000, which had been set aside for work on (lie western access scheme. It is understood tho cost of supervision and materials is being mot at present out of moneys that will not last more than another month. Tho council has already spent over £27,000 this year. It is unable to continue spending. Tho position will bo reviewed by the Unemployment Board early this week. Several thousand families are dependent on relief work in Wellington. Although there is little likelihood that they will be left without any help, their serious position calls for immediate attention. BOYS WITHOUT WORK BOOTS AND CLOTHING SUCCESSFUL APPEAL MADE Over 500 pairs of boots and shoes, mostly in a good state of repair, clothing, garden tools and some £25 in cash were collected as a result of the drive organised by the Junior Chamber of Commerce in aid of unemployed boys in the city and suburbs on Saturday morning. So good was the response that it is probable that the drive will be continued next Saturday, as there was not time to collect all the goods offering. The drive took the form of a house-to-house canvass, and members of the Junior Chamber were assisted by Boy Scouts and St. John Ambulance cadets. "A pleasing feature of the drive was tho very good condition of the clothing and boots collected," said Mr. A. M. Doull, one of tho organisers, on Saturday evening. "The linen and clothing given had been washed and ironed, and was all ready to pass on to the Auckland Unemployed Boys' Committee, who will distribute it among boys at -tho St. John's College camp." Although tho appeal was made on behalf of boys, a considerable amount of clothing, and many pairs of boots and shoes for women and children, were included in the parcels. As these were useless for a boys' camp, they were given to the League of Mothers for distribution. ONE TREE HILL SCHEME COUNCIL SUPPORT WITH DRAWN The One Tree Hill Borough Council has decided to withdraw its support of the local unemployed association, officially known as the New Zealand Workers' Social Credit Association. The council's reason for taking this action is that the association is not now functioning on the lines originally intended and on which the council gave its support, both financial and m4ra.l. Following a recent conference between a. committee of the council and the association's executive, at which matters of administration geuerally were discussed, the latter refused to fall in with a, suggestion of the committee regarding the disposal of clothing collected during a recent drive, and on receipt of the committee's report of the conference the council decided that it could no longer give its support to the association as ,it was at present functioning and*also decided to resume possession of the depot, Green Lane, loaned to the association. DISTRESS IN HAMILTON CHARGES FOR RATIONS [from our own cob respondent] HAMILTON, Sunday As the result of advice from the Unemployment Bojird that after August 31 no authority would be given for the free issue of food and clothing to the unemployed, the Waikato Social Welfare League, which has charge of the relief of distress in Hamilton, has been obliged to alter its present policy. At a, meeting of the league it was decided to make a charge for all goods distributed, with the exception of clothing which had been donated. The charges will apply to meat, groceries, coal, seeds and boot repairs and will be levied by means of a system of tickets, the money received to be used by the league to supplement its funds.