RELIEF OF DISTRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21984, 20 June 1933, Page 6

RELIEF OF DISTRESS

The discussion at the meeting in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon, called by his Worship the Mayor in furtherance of his appeal to the citizens to help in relieving existing distress in Dunedin, followed practical lines, and held out all reasonable promise of the achievement of practical results in the desired direction. The extent to which real distress, caused through lack of sufficient food, clothing, and warmth, actually obtains in this city cannot doubtless be ' easily indicated in very precise terms. The Mayor has laid particular emphasis on the shortage of food, has spoken of thousands of children being insufficiently nourished, and furnished yesterday’s meeting with an estimate that there are at present five thousand people in this city who are under-fed, to say nothing of the greater number who are poorly clothed and warmed. The meeting, which included representatives of organisations which should be in a position to know the true state of affairs, was apparently satisfied to accept the need of a special effort to ameliorate the conditions as definitely established. It is to be hoped, of course, that when the position is closely investigated it may not prove to be quite so bad or abnormal as general statements or estimates would represent it to be. But though the meeting did not discuss the details of the need to be met, it evinced no doubt whatever of the existence of a civic responsibility that should be faced. There is not much choice available in respect of the means of carrying out a purpose such as that approved by yesterday’s meeting, and the decision to launch a public appeal for funds sufficient to relieve prevalent distress during the next three or four months represents, no doubt, the simplest and most direct method of procedure. The committee set up to carry out this plan cannot expect to find the task of raising o£ 10,000 an exactly easy one, but it remains for the citizens as a whole to do their part in the furtherance of this movement in a sympatheticiand generous spirit.