UNEMPLOYMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21668, 11 June 1932, Page 16

UNEMPLOYMENT

NEW RELIEF ARRANGEMENTS MAYOR’S ORGANISATION Much has been said in favour of the decentralisation of the distribution of relief of distress caused by unemployment, and, with a view to formulating a policy common to all relief organisations in the city, the Mayor (Mr K. S. Black) convened a meeting of all those interested. Churches and kindred societies were hilly represented, those present being of the opinion that the proposal was a move in the right direction. The Rev. J. D. Smith and Mr H. L. Paterson were appointed to draw up the details of the organisation, and their report was presented at a further meeting held last week. After , careful analysis the following report was adopted unanimously:— I The citv is to be divided into eight dis- I tricts, each district having its own com- 1 mittcc and depot; but all resources are i to be pooled for the common good. | The districts are enumerated as fol- j *°No. 1 District.— Woodhaugh, North- i East Valley, Dalmorc, and Opoho—convener, the Rev. George Miller. No, 2 District.—Dunedin North from Stuart street —convener, the Rev. E. S. T No? 3 District.—Dunedin Central-Stuart street to Wilkie road—convener, the Rev. W. A. Stevely. _ _ No. 4 District.—Dunedin South, Caversham, and St. Clair—convener, the Rev. Canon Button. . No. 5 District.— Borough of St. Kilda—convener, his Worship the Mayor of bt. Kilda (Mr J. Beattie). •No. 6 District.—Anderson s Bay—convener, the Rev. L. Richards. No 7 District.— Mormngton, Lookout Point to Hawthorne avenue—convener, the Rev. A. Watson. , Ko. 8 District.— Roslyn, Kaikorai, and Maori 'Hill—convener, the Rev., d. D. support has been promised to each convener, and the Roslyn Committee is already functioning. .■ ■ ■. • There is no intention to interfere in any way with the ordinary social relic work carried on by the churches amongst their adherents. This work will be carried on through the usual channels but all realise that an extraordinary effo t Lust bemade to meet an .e^raord, ffi situation. All religious, social, and public bodies and citizens arc appealed to to make this effort. Even private social circles can help by sewing kmttm| tlnit! enlarging their sphere of usefulness rSSi regarding the control of funds to be raised by the District Committee. It m intended to pool all money including toe returns from “Come to Dunedin Week. Very little imagination is required to realise that some districts wdl require more assistance than others; and it. s here that the more fortunate districts will fulfil their tasks by sending to the main depot their s^'P lu ?„ s t l ’ p ! ) l ie^ e dis? main depot will redistribute to the cus trict depots, but will not deal with individual applicants. It must be realise!, too, that one fund and one buying cpmmittee will simplify promote e m cienev The executive has decided to leave the appeal for clothes, etc., entirely in the hands of the Commercial Travellers and Warehousemens Association, whose drive will take place this mouth. In the meantime the committees are ex pected to function and .receive applications Everyone, including the govern Lent, knows that many families are being liberally supported by individual citizens and are at the same time receiving help from depots. To stop this obvious greediness and overlapping, the Government .s issuing a card to all registered unemployed 8 on which should be noted all assistance given privately or otherwise, and .t is the duty of citizens thus helping to see that these entries are made. By more or less sinking our identities during these trying times we shall make.- this great effort 8 one which will do credit to our beloved city and its inhabitants. CLOTHING, FUEL, AND FOOTWEAR RELIEF ORGANISATION OF DEPOTS The establishment of (a) one main city depot and record office, and (b) such district depots as are found to be necessary. (a) City Depot and Record Office. This depot is to be established as a central receiving and distributing store; to distribute surplus goods from B class depots to other B class depots operating in closely populated, needy areas: to purchase all material and manufactured goods; to keep complete records of assistance granted and co-ordinate the work of B depots; It shall not be the duty o this depot to deal with individuals; ah recommendations by B depots tor fuel shall be sent to this depot, which shall cause to be delivered to the recipient of relief such fuel as, by rationing, it shall have at its command. , b) District Depots—These depots, to the number of eight or such larger number as by experience may prove necessary, shall be established within the district concerned. Boundaries shall be defined on a map of the city, and shall be strictly adhered to. Each depot shall be controlled and conducted by a committer- appointed at a public meeting of representatives of all churches, social service organisations, and citizens called together for the purpose. Duties shall be:—(a) To obtain suitable premises; (b) to accept applications lor assistance and fill in cards in duplicate (one card to be cent to main depot) ;■ (c) to visit the individual homes for the purpose of discovering the most urgent necessities; (d) to canvass for clothing, footwear, bedding, etc.; (e) to organise sewing circles where new ,materials may be made into garments or old clothes repaired; (f) to receive and distribute supplies to applicants. (It is important that the applicants should buy the goods even if the prices are nominal only and much below value. In this way careless use of clothing, etc., will be checked. Selfrespect is still a cherished possession of the greater proportion of the unemployed, and every endeavour should be made to preserve it); (g) to order from the main depot such material as may be required; (h) to endeavour to secure mow goods than may be necessary to provide lor the particular district concerned and send such surplus to, for redistribution by, the main depot to those B class depots, which owing to heavy demands, cannot maintain supplies. Organisation of Distribution. — (1) B depots shall serve only those people within i their defined district boundaries. By I strict adherence to this rule, overlapping should be eliminated. (2) Each appli- I cant shall produce his unemployment card and shall be given a distinctively coloured i district card on which shall be entered the name and address and date when relief was granted. (3) Itecord in duplicate of relief granted or goods sold to be made by B depot and copy to be sent to main depot to be endorsed on central records. (4) Conduct weekly market. Admission to market by depot card only. General Organisation (Office Records). —1 (a) Each depot to have distinctively coloured card for issue to unemployed and compile roll; (b) the card will show the name and address and particulars oi family, and on the back will be noted dates when relief was given; (c) full records of relief to be kept in local depot office; (d) these particulars must be forwarded regularly to main depot office for recording. 2. Ecrsons, owing to chanjxe of residence, applying to another district depot, must produce and band in card. A new card will be issued with original entries noted thereon. ' Finance, Etc. —"jVEfiin fund to be controlled by an elected executive, the treasurer being the town clerk (Mr G. A. ' Lewin); all quantity buying to be done by executive on advice of the mam depot; requisitions by district depots to be made to main depot. j | THE MAYOR’S RELIEF DEPOT j The following donations to the Mayor’s Relief Depot, St. Andrew street, are ac- | knowledgcd with thanks:—Miss Blackie, children’s clothing (per Mrs G. A. Nelson) ; Mr and Mrs A. N. Smith, clothing; The Great Northern Service Station, one sack potatoes; D. Martin, Beaumont (cx

Winter Show), 2 bags potatoes (per J. T. Smith); Messrs S. Kirkpatrick and Co., Nelson, nine ' cases K tomato soup (per William Taylor and Sons); William George Watson, baker, King street; Elec-; trie Power aiid Light Department; goloshes; Master Erridge, one package; collected by Masters D. Tuckwell, Bert and Jack Hayfnan, 41 packages; A. D. Minn, baker, bread; City Reserves, six sacks cabbages (per Mr Tannock); Times Office, wrapping paper; C. and J. Swan, King street, sharpening saw; Anderson’s Bay residents, 26 packages (per M. Campbell); Taimii residents, 12 packages (per Power and Son); St. Kilda residents, ex Sneddon and Son’s store, 38 package's (per W. Henderson); St. Kilda residents, 62 packages (per Allison); St. Clair residents, 70 packages (per J. T. Smith); Cargill road residents, cx M’Donald’s store, one package (per J. H. Taylor); Mornington residents,’so packages (per Wood and Son); Mornington residents, 35 packages (per. F. M. Shirley); Mornington residents, 34 packages, and Mrs Wing, bag potatoes (per W. G. Hook); Mornington residents, ex Gibb’s and Goodall’s stores, 41 packages (per C. C. Lamb), Roslyn residents, 34 packages (per R. Armit and Co.); Kaikorai residents, 38 packages (per E. Anderson); Maori Hill residents, 05 packages (per J. Graham); Small’s store, 15 packages (per J. J. Hayes); North-East Valley residents, cx J. Harvey and Co., store, 8 packages; North-East Valley residents, ex Mr Godkin’s store, 3 packages; North-East Valley residents, ex C. Barnett’s store, 3 packages; North-East Valley residents, ex Mowat and Co.’s store, 3 packages; NorthEast Valley residents, ex A. V. Thomson’s, store, 0 packages (per Sam M'Bratney); North End residents, 49 packages (per Alexander Allan); North End residents, cx Strong’s store. 20 packages; North End residents, cx Kitchen’s store, 9 packages (per William Stewart, baker); North End residents—Mrs J. Wallace, Mrs J. Dick, Mrs G. Gray, and Mrs J. Allen, 1 package each, and “Anon,” 81b butter (per MTarlane and Co.); North End residents, 13 packages (per Young and Anderson). WILLING HELPERS’ COMMITTEE The Willing Helpers’ Committee (blanket fund) held a meeting on Wednesday night, Mrs Sutherland being in the chair. It was decided to present to the Rev. L. B. Neale (Central Mission) the sum of £3O for the .purchase of blankets to be given to the most necessitous cases; also that owpig to unauthorised persons collecting for blanket, coal, and other relief of distress funds an official badge be issued to each member of the committee to be worn when collecting. The committee thanked the business people of the city for the Help given them in donations of money and goods. The chairwoman thanked these . present for their attendance and for the way they had worked together to assist those in need. She thought that soon again. they would be able to present a like sum for the relief of distress of the city. GREEN ISLAND RELIEF One of the most successful dances held in Green Island took place in the Town Hall on , Wednesday evening. _ The programme whs made up of old-time dances, and the grand march, led by Mr and Mrs W. T. Smellie, consisted of approximately 150 couples. The proceeds will be devoted to the local unemployment relief fund. On behalf of the Dance Committee, the Mayor desires to thank Mr B. Kerr for printing tickets, the Jubilee .and Sports Orchestras, Mr Middlemiss, the Green Island Band for supplying music; and all those who assisted. AN URGENT APPEAL , During the last fortnight well over 2000 people have received assistance from the Central Mission Depot. Some.wery distressing cases have sought help from this organisation, and so great has been the demand that financial resources have been strained to the limit «and no materials for distribution are at present in baud. The organiser (the Rev. L. B. Neale) and his staff gratefully acknowledge the assistance that has been given from time to time to cope with what appears to be a position unparalleled: in the history of Dunedin. It is recognised that all classes of the community are sharing in the depression, and the only hope of continuing the work depends on the assistants accorded by the people whose income permits them to come to the aid of their unfortunate fellow-citi-zens. The depot phone number is 18-844. A sum of money has been handed in by the Willing Helpers’ Women’s Blanket Committee, and after to-day this committee will have no connection with the depot. The staff expresses appreciation of the services rendered by this committee, who have given much time and energy towards providing money for this blanket fund. WORK FOR TO-DAY GROUPS TO REPORT. The following groups of unemployed working under the No. 5 scheme will report as follows at 8 o’clock this morning: 251, Signal Hill road, one mile above tram terminus. 252, Sligo terrace, at Erin street, 253, Norwood street, at Potter’s road. 255, Wakari road, top of Fulton road. 256, Somerville street, at Abbotsford road. ■, . , 257, Tweedie’s farm, Wakari road. 259, Water of Leith, at old sawmill, off Malvern street. . ■ 200, Caversham Valley road, at Lindsay 10 262, Scott’s road, at Southern Reserve's, Fox’s farm, Mornington road, above Industrial School. 265, Benuet’s farm, 32 Gamma street. 269, Midland street, at sanitary stables. 272. Brinsdon’s farm, Dalziel street, at M’Millan’s Corner. 270, M‘M ill all’s farm, Mornington road, above Industrial School.. 278, Higgin’s farm, Brockville road, half-mile above trough. 285, Musselburgh rise, at steps. 280, Somerville street, at Abbotsford road. ' , 287,. Kaikorai Valley road, at Fraser s road.' 351, Pine Hill road, at Gladstone road. 352, Kaikorai Valley road, at Fraser's road. 353, North road, below Brown House. 354, Jeffery street, below school. 355, Kearney’s farm, Malvern street, half-mile above Patmos avenue. 356, Dickson's farm, Tomahawk road, at bridge. ... 357, Bain’s farm, Taieri road, at Ashburn Hall. 359. Water of Leith, at old sawmill, off Malvern street. 360, South road, at Riselaw road. 361, Tainui road, at Dundonald street. 362. —The following men of group 302, at Paterson’s farm, Blackhead road:— R. T. Beveridge, S. C. Chapman, W. Dickson, A. J. Gaul, W. D. Outsell, A. C. Hall. „ A , 362. —The balance of group 362 at Sim’s farm, half-mile south-west from St. Clair Golf Club. 303. —The following men of group 363 at Dickson’s farm, Barr street, at Agnes; street: —F. H. Cameron, J. Fraser, G. Key, F. MncKenzie, J. E. M'Langhlan, C. A. Monroe. 303—The following men of group 363 at Dunsmuir’s farm, Seidlin’s Nursery, Byron street: —F. Morris,. J. O'Callaghan, F, D. Rutherford, J. Thomson, C. H. Brady, G. Stephen, J. Laing, S. A. Angell, T. Randle. 365, Steelman's farm, Wakari road, opposite Passmore’s. 366, Malvern street, at paper mill. 307. Queen’s drive, at Russell street. 368’ Hcllyer's farm, Norwood street. 369, Wharf street, at tip. 370, Ross Creek, at Lower Reservoir. 372, Portobello road, at bridge. 373, Tomahawk road, at Hunt street. 376. Armitage's farm, 165 Kaikorai Valley road. 378. Broekbank’s -farm, top end of Glenelg street.

NEEDS OF RETURNED SOLDIERS REQUEST 7, FOK: £20,600 GRANT' FROM „ CANTEEN FUND,. •; A decision to ask that the delegates to the Dominion Conference of ■ the Returned Soldiers’ Association should be instructed to press for a grant of £20,000 from thp Canteen Fund, for the relief of unemployment and distress among returned soldiers throughout the Dominion, was made at a meeting of about 150 unemployed returned soldiers in Christchurch on Thursday. The request is in reiteration of a remit in similar terms which was approved at the annual meeting of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association recently. Though the conference is likely' to approve the remit, according to the secretary of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association (Mr E. F, Willcox), the final decision will rest with the Canteen Funds Trust Board, as trustees of the money. “Every effort is being put forward'to make the board see the necessity for the grant,” said Mr Willcox. “ Our needs are greater now than they were last year, and as the distress among returned men is much more serious, it is absolutely essential that we should have a larger grant.” ' . . The Canteen Fund at present contained about £200,000, he said. The Trust Board since September of last year had been giving £IOOO a month to the Returned Soldiers’ Association headquarters,, to be distributed to the various branches for, relief purposes. The Christchurch branch’s share had been £135 each month. The board had last year also decided to distribute the interest (£11,000) on its capital as from 1936. This last decision', obviously, could do nothing to help the present troubles of the men. UNEMPLOYED WORKERS’ MOVEMENT The weekly meeting of the Unemployed Workers’ Movement wag held bn Thursday evening. Mr E. W. Braithwaite '(vice-president) presided over a good attendance of members. It was agreed to send a deputation of three speakers to Waitati on June 24. Reports from various deputations were heard and received. Mr D. Fee, a delegate from Waitati, addressed the meeting, and was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks. A number of complaints was received fronv groups, and after discussidn a deputation of two speakers was appointed to wait on the local Unemployment Committee and place these matters before it. A complaint whs also. received regarding the working conditions of the men under the Taieri River Tnfst. The secretary was instructed to make the. necessary arrangements for a deputation to wait on the trust. Notice of motion was given as follows: —“That the secretary of the Unemployed Workers’ Movement write to the Unemployment Board, or local authority, requesting that a first-aid outfit (complete) be placed on all relief works, and that a suitable book, be placed in each outfit for the purpose of recording any accident which might occur.” THE “‘CHURCH WORK” FALLACY ' From “The Product of Conduct,” by Canon Peter Green, When any evil attracts public notice, or when any scheme of social betterment gets less popular, support than it deserves, there is sure to be talk of “ the apaihy of the Church in this matter.” If every person who used this phrase would argue, “ I am a baptised Christian; Therefore I am, a member of the. Church., Therefore'the apathy of the' Church means the apathy of myself and some millions like me. Therefore I must be up and doing, and trying also to influence, others,’ all would be well. But unfortunately ‘the Church” in this phase always,means the clergy. If anyone is" sufficiently clearheaded to point out that there, is no reason whatever why a clergymn. should be active in promoting emigration, or housing, or national saving, or provision of playing fields, or whatever the need of the moment may be, it is not too much to. say. that 90 per cent, of His hearers will simply regard him as a silly paradoxmonger. Christ, they will declare,' is the Lord of all life. Religion must touch every sphere of man’s activities. All good work is Church work. Every word of this may be granted. And so. if the clergy are the' only members of Christ’s body, the Church, all good work must necessarily be done by parsons.' But if lawyers, and doctors, and bankers,, and shopkeepers, and artisans, and all baptised persons are ' also of “the body of Christ,.'and members in particular,” then it may be highly “ improper ” that one particular set of members should leave their own work and try to do the work of the whole body. To walk is an excellent thing; but a man has feet to walk on, and it is not therefore desirable that; he should walk . on his hands. The Church has much social work to do. But she has lay members well qualified to do it. It is not .therefore desirable that the clergy should leave their own work, of “prayer and the ministry of*the word.” For the activity of the clergy in every kind of secular work, of a philanthropic or social nature, has two evil results; first, it draws them away from their own duties at a time when those, duties are grievously needed, and, it may too probably be added, everywhere grievously neglected owing to the ,growing shortage of clergy; and, secondly, it encourages the idea that social and philanthropic work, being properly-, done by the clergy, may with equal propriety be neglected by the. laity. And so thousands of well-to-do men and women spend their lives in getting and spending,, in feverish toil and feverish pursuit of pleasure, without ever making an effort for anyone’s welfare but their own. But these people’s lives would be immeasurably happier and healthier if to getting and spending they added giving and serving. Two excuses are often: urged for’ the present deplorable activity of the clergy in everyone’s work but their own:-r First, it is urged that it is impossible to preach the Gospel to men. and. women living under such conditions as exist in many districts, and that people will be more ready to listen to Christ’s message if they see the clergy active in efforts for social reform. Church history and daily experience disprove both statements. From the days of St. Paul, through the times of the preaching friars, down to the days of Wesley and Whitfield, and on to the present time. Gospel preaching has had power quite irrespective of social conditions. And where the clergy have been most other-worldly, and have Most zealously done “ their ’’ part of the work, there their converts, the laity, have been most rich in fruits of social betterment. No men could have been more narrowly confined to purely religious activities, no men’s minds could have been more exclusively occupied by such matters as God, the soul, sin, and conversion than the clergy of the evangelical revival. With the result that the laity —Wilberforce and Clarkson, and Zachary Macaulay, and Thornton the banker, and, in a later generation, Lord Shaftsbury—emancipated the slave, and cleansed the prisons, and revived national education, and restarted foreign missions and initiated factory legislation. The second plea put forward in favour of the clergy taking an active, part in social and political work is that there are not enough good laymen to do the work, which would seem to supply an excellent reason for clergy devoting more time to their own work of conversion and edification. For at present wo are 1 involved in a vicious circle. There are too few godly and unselfish laity to do the philanthropic work of the nation. • So theclergy are drawn - away-from spiritual work in order that they may do it themselves. So the nation becomes yet more ungodly and less willing than ever to give unpaid service to humanity. And so the clergy are yet more drawn away to, secular work. How can we break out of this vicious circle? .; This evil, of men neglecting their own proper work to do the work which rightly belongs to other members of the Body of Christ, is most marked among the clergy because, though badly paid, they are not paid by results. The banker cannot neglect his banking to organise playing fields, nor the doctor forsake nis surgery to run thrift campaigns, or their cash receipts would suffer. But whereever men are free to please themselves the Christian moral philosopher must insist on the principle of “ function .’ as of real importance in morals. Alike in Church and State “we have many members in one body, and all members have ‘not’ the. same office.” Closely allied-ta-the “fallacy of church work” is the “fallacy of misplaced deference.” The fact that a man has kept wicket for - England does not give.

any special value to his views on the Ulster boundary question; nor does the fact that a man is a great surgeon make his opinion on perpetual reservation necessarily final. Of course, a- man may be a great athlete and also a keen and profound student of politics. Knowledge of anatomy and skill in operating do not preclude the possibility of being an instructed and sincere churchman. But the enormous growth of detail in all branches of human knowledge and the difference of method in the different spheres of, inquiry make it less, not more, probable that a great authority on one subject will he worth listening to when he talks of matters outside his own subject. Modesty on the part of the. maa in the street would be fruits of a wider recognition of tile principle of' “function.” , • ... r ,'