METROPOLITAN RELIEF

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21470, 19 April 1933, Page 12

METROPOLITAN RELIEF

COMMITTEE'S GOOD WORK J RECORD OF 11 MONTHS ABOUT 5000 MEN HELPED The fine work done by the Auckland Metropolitan Unemployment Relief Committee between its establishment early in May, 19152, and the end of tho financial year at March .'!1 last is very evident from a statement which will be presented to the affiliated bodies at the first annual meeting to bo held at the Town Hall on April 28. The committee lias assisted just over 5000 men with issues of boots, clothing and blankets, given free or on payment of half cost, and has repaired nearly 5000 pairs of boots and shoes for men and their families. A most creditable feature is that administration expenses for the period, including the rental of a telephone, amounted to only £'lo, or about twothirds of one per cent of the total expenditure. This is mainly due to tho gratuitous service rendered by Mr. P. Grieve as superintendent of the committee's clothing depot, Mr. L. Marks in supervising tho boot repair shop and the town clerk, Mr. .J. S. Brigham, as secretary and treasurer. Nearly £GOOO Expended Tho cash statement shows that receipts from all sources amounted to £7385 and that tho year ended with a credit balance of £1569. Receipts included £3461 in donations from tho public, £2005 out of the proceeds of tho " Smith Family " art union, and £l5O from tho Bank of New Zealand for tho relief of women and children. A subsidy of £l5O was given by the Unemployment Board toward the cost of tho boot repairing depot. Payments by relief workers, being half the cost of clothing and boots supplied to them, totalled £928, and £438 was received for repairs to boots. A total of £4570 was spent on tho purchase of boots, clothing, blankets, gramophones and records, and £395 upon hoot repairing material, and £-118 was paid out in grants to suburban relief committees and social organisations for local and special relief, including Christmas cheer, medical supplies and goods needed by women and children. An additional £6l. specially subscribed, was expended on Christmas parcels. The number of men assisted was 5001, of whom 2314 were on town relief work and 2670 in country camps. Tho following articles were issued, the number sold at half cost being given in parentheses: —Boots, 4268 pairs (1578 pairs); socks, 4177 pairs (1741 pairs); denims, 2162 (5-15 shirts, 2478 (1083); underpants, 627 (IS 1); blankets, 3074 (767). A length of 937 yards of flannel was purchased for making up into underwear by women's organisations. Eighteen gramophones, of which 14 were received as gifts and four purchased, were seutjo country camps, together with 500 records. Heading matter and playing cards were supplied to 70 camps. Repairs to Boots In tho boot depot, which was in operation for a little under seven months of the period, 4318 pairs were reconditioned for relief workers and their families, and 500 pairs given by the public wore repaired for free distribution, making a total ol 4848 pairs. Numerous gifts of new clothing and blankets were received from business firms and private individuals and underclothing was made for the committee by ladies belonging to five diftorent organisations. The clothing referred to in fhe statement does not include any of the proceeds of the clothes "drive sponsored by the committee. These were all handed over to the social workers of the city for distribution. At tho meeting of the committee yesterday it was reported that since March 28 a further 323 pairs of new boots had been issued to relief workers, 269 in the city and 51 in camps, and 478 pairs had been repaired. The Mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, said he had seen in the press that the committee was to share in the benefit of a £IO.OOO art union. If the proceeds were divided pro rata among the four centres, Auckland should receive about £3500, but he understood that some other towns, such as Wanganui, were also seeking a share.