RELIEF OF DISTRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22372, 20 September 1934, Page 6

RELIEF OF DISTRESS

CAMPAIGN TO SECURE FUNDS PROVIDING FOR COMING YEAR A largely attended meeting o£ representatives from the various bodies in the city was held in the Town Hall yesterday for the purpose of considering -ways and means of raising funds to continue the work of providing relief for unemployed workers and their wives and dependents. The Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox) presided. The Mayor said that President Roosevelt in his" National. Recovery Scheme for America had stated that he was determined upon a programme to prevent the collapse of' what they called modern civilisation, and he had adopted a very drastic and ’ nation-wide policy. In raising 500,000,000 dollars for unemployment relief he had made it very clear that the first responsibility was upon the local community where the distress existed. ’ Everything in its power had to be done to provide the necessities of life for those citizens ’who were in destitute circumstances. When the locality had done its utmost the next obligation was on the Stpte, and only.after the local government and the State had done its full share could the Federal Government come forward with Federal funds. In New Zealand the Government had standardised the amount of relief at a fixed ratio —a -ratio that they all felt was utterly inadequate to enable the relief workers and their dependents to live in decency and comfort, A married man received 22s Bd a week, and out of this he had to : pay rent, food, and clothing, etc.; a married man with one child, 27s 6d; with two children, 32s 6d; and with - three or more children, 37s 6d. A small ration of. relief In extraordinary cases was given, and those with more than four children received a maximum of 12s 6d. There; were, however, families on their city relief fund of 10 and 11, and many with numbers ranging from 10 down to four. It was obvious that the city must continue to do something to meet the position. The system that had been operating in Dunedin in the Mayor’s Relief Fund had afforded a very large measure of help to all relief workers. Through the district depots Kaitangata coal could be purchased at 2s per nag and lignite at Is, consequent on the subsidy given to the Central Relief Fund. This had spread a measure of help to every householders, and-_ it would be a great hardship if even this small measure of relief were eliminated. Clothing and boots could be purchased from the depots for men and children —women were not included in this—and these articles could be secured at 25 per cent. less than the wholesale rates. This was a great boon, and the payments could be spread over a period of 10 weeks. What had been a very great and distinct help during the past, 12 months, in addition to the foregoing, was the issue of food orders, with a maximum of 5a in any one week, or a maximum of 10s in any one month. These orders were given in' cases of acute distress or sickness. This had proved a great drain upon the fund, but, on the other hand, the orders had been greatly appreciated by the recipients. The Mayor said that the system now operating had the advantage that only one call was made on the general public every year, instead of a multitude of calls from all sorts of organisations. According to the amount given, the Relief Committee allocated its distributions over ,a period of 12 months. That being so, the public was not, as he had stated, being constantly dunned for help. Last year they had been able to grant an approximate amount of £6OO per month in the summer months and £IOOO during the winter, and the distribution one month in the winter had reached a sum 2s short of £I3OO. They would therefore see the ihagnitude of the work being carried on, and he trusted that the citizens would th|s year respond quickly and generously ,to the appeal. - They still , had a little in hand, and they had not made the appeal as early as they had last year; The amount they had received last year from the Queen Carnival had . enabled them to carry on for two or throe months longer than > they would otherwise have been able to do. —'ar ;

Mr A. C. Matheson, chairman of the Finance Committee of the Mayor’s 1 Relief Fund, said that £7OOO had been allocated for the purchase of coal, £llls for footwear, and £3510 for clothing. The outgoings represented payments amounting to £12,167. He thought the system adopted during the year had run very satisfactorily, and he thought that "most of those who were connected with the work were willing to continue in office. Something required to.' be done, and he considered that the people would face the position and help in the.manner they had done previously. Mr G. Crow, a member of the Relief Committee, said his idea was that they should approach the various organisations, guilds, etc., and get their co-operation. 'These bodies could appoint canvassers to canvass their own particular members. Mr Crow said by this means they would reach other sections than those comprised in business and professional circles.

The Mayor said that the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce last year bad made a canvass of the business people of the city. It was felt, however, that the canvassing operations could be extended and other sections of the community asked to give. After a general discussion, the Mayor explained that they had thought it would be impossible to hold another queen carnival of the dimensions of that -of last year, and that as a consequence they would not be able to secure the sum of £4700. which had been obtained from the carnival. They had 1000 fewer unemployed to provide for this year, but the needs were just as great. They had to remember that assistance had to be provided for the dependents of. the unemployed who were working in the camps. The Mayor said, in answer to a question, that the appeal would free donors from other claims, except, maybe, those from any of their own particular social or religious organisations. They were endeavouring to meet the needs caused by the depression, and this one effort would meet the case. Mr Matheson said that the actual collections received last year were:— By canvass .. .. ~ £4500 Queen Carnival .. .. 4797 Allocation from the Government art unions .. 2918 The Mayor said that they wanted to raise about £SOOO. They might consider that the lesser number of unemployed would be balanced by the loss from the carnival. If they got £SOOO and another £SOOO from the art unions they would have to reduce their allocations a little from what was being made at present. Mr Matheson: Not very much, if the art unions keep up. He did not know,' however, that they would. Mr V. S. Jacobs, a member of the Relief Committee, said that if they collected £SOOO they would have enough to see them over next winter. They had ■kept their word last year as regarded the assurance to donors that they would not be called on more than once to subscribe to a fund. Mr Jacobs then moved—“ That a small committee be appointed from this meeting to draw up a scheme and go straight ahead with the necessary arrangements to secure funds.” Mr C. B. Barrowclough seconded the motion. It was decided to alter the motion so that the committee appointed should present a scheme to another meeting to oe called later, and it was carried in the amended form. The following committee was then appointed:—The Mayor (convener) and Messrs James Farquharson, G. Crow, J. J. Marlow, C. B. Barrowclough. A. C, Matheson, V. S. Jacobs, J. H. Stewart, and Dr Fitzgerald. Mr Grindley, secretary of the Mayor’s Relief Committee, explained subsequently that the Mayor’s appeal for £IO,OOO had resulted in subscriptions amounting to £12,187- —that was to the end of July, 19S4—being received, and that £17,663 had been disbursed. The difference in the amounts is represented by receipts from sales at the district depots.