UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22087, 17 April 1935, Page 17

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

COMMITTEE TO CONTINUE METROPOLITAN AREA WORK PAST YEAR'S ACTIVITIES A unanimous decision in favour of continuing the operations of the Auckland Metropolitan Unemployment Relief Committee was readied yesterday at the annual meeting of representatives of local bodies and social organisations concerned. The annual report and statement of accounts were adopted, j Letters concerning the advisability of continuing the association's activities were read. Only one correspondent, Sir George Richardson, was not in favour of continuing the work of the Central Committee. He considered that each district should have a committee to administer ,funds allocated to it by a central finance committee of three members. Sir George also declined nomination for the incoming committee. The opinion that the committee should continue to function, but that it should gradually fine down its operations, so that eventually it could go out of existence, was expressed bv the chairman, Mr. G. W. Hutchison. Mayor of Auckland. Continuance Advocated "I do not see how we can do without the committee," said Archdeacon H. F. Holbrook. "I think we should continue on the same lines as during the past two years." Other members spoke on similar lines. In his report the chairman said 4497 men in the Auckland metropolitan area and 2541 ic camp and been assisted in the year ended March 31.* Since the committee's inception 13,535 men had been assisted, and 77,942 articles issued. The total receipts for the year were £10,802, of which £7900 consisted of allocations from art unions and £5lO of donations. In spite of the withdrawal by the Unemployment Board of the subsidy to the boot repairing depot, it had been found possible to make ends meet without increasing the existing low charges ior' repairing boots for the unemployed and their dependants The report recorded the valuable assistance given by the City Relief Committee in helping relief workers and men on sustenance, and also in dispersing allocations made by the metropolitan committee and the Prosperity Fund trustees. Grants to local organisations during the> year totalled just under £9OOO, and the total relief granted by the Central Committee and affiliated organisations -would be double that quoted. Details of Finances Further details of the committee's activities were given in reports presented by the honorary treasurer, Mr. J. S. Brigham. The surplus for the year was shown as £IOO4. Receipts amounted to £15,068, including the surplus from the previous year, the total for the period since the committee was formed being £31,600. The principal receipts for the year were the £7900 from art unions and £1471 paid by relief workers as half the cost of clothing. ' The expenditure included £3997 for boots, blankets, denims, shirts, other clothing ajid/gramophones and repairs, £B9BO granted to local organisations and relief committees, and £905 for leather supplies The committee issued free, or at half cost, 95 pairs of boots. 6200 pairs of socks, 4873 pairs of denims. (5586 shirts, 2062 singlets, 611 pairs of underpants and 3631 blankets.

There were also 10.820 pairs of boots or shoes repaired. The existing committee was reelected. with the exception of Sir George Richardson. Major Perry replaced Jlajor Holmes as the Salvation Army representative, and the Rev. W. P. Rankin was added to represent western districts. The meeting passed votes of thanks to the chairman and the committee.