WELFARE OF THE OLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27384, 9 May 1950, Page 8

WELFARE OF THE OLD

Sir—The Daily Times stated that the Otago Old People's Welfare Council is making an appeal for £15.000 to purchase a property on which to erect a centre for the use of the aged and ageing. It is not many years since pensioners associations were asking for an economic payment of £3, and more, per week, which would not be met by the taxation of young people. What has become of this sensible objective? Have other influences got to work in the associations and side-tracked them into community centre projects which entail a further * voluntary ” tax on the citizens? Imagine the stupidity of this scheme, which requires £15,000 for a site alone —on a back street—and will require a further demand on the public for money to erect a building. I think a large number of old people would enjoy a meeting place of some sort. A rest room at the Gardens and one at South Dunedin would be useful, but if it must be central, there are better sites than that suggested. Public or church land would surely be given for such a purpose. The most favoured spot for such a clubroom is on the Octagon in front of Burn’s statue. Any architect could design a building level with the footpath with an attractive verandah in front. It would perhaps be desirable to erect a sound shell over it for the use of our bands. Hundreds of old folk pass through the Octagon. They are often seen filling the available seats there. Therefore a comfortable place to sit and rest in out in the sun, or inside in cold weather, is the only reasonable and just thing to provide. Some might say that the City Council would not allow such a building to be built on a reserve, but they have given sites on reserves to all sorts of sports bodies; why should they refuse this? I hope the £15,000, when obtained, goes into a building on a free site, and not one in such an unsuitable position as the one suggested.—l am, etc., John Stephens.

[Access to the building proposed by the Old People's Welfare Council would be from the Octagon at ground leve\. Letter abridged.—Ed ODT.I