CHARITABLE RELIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3802, 25 January 1927, Page 8

CHARITABLE RELIEF.

HOSPITAL BOARD’S PLIGHT. .AUCKLAND, January 19. “If that is the position now, what is it going to be like next winter?” asked the chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board (Mr W. Wallace) at the board meeting, when pointing out that almost 200 persons in Auckland were at . present in receipt of charitable relief, ’ and that the board had spent in the nine months ended December 31. the whole of the amount provided on the estimates for re-' lief for the full year. “In the nine months,” Mr Waiface said, “we have spent £20,000 in''relief, “and that amount is actually £6400 more than was spent during the same period of the previous financial year. It would be an eye-opener to any member of the public to come along to a meeting of the Relief Committee of the board. It is no use saying that the men who apply for relief because they are out of employment, will not work. They are deecnt hardworking men and they cannot get work.” Mr Wallace said that if the Government contended that the giving of relief to the unemployed was the duty of the hospital boards, then the board’s should have some say m the question of bringing immigrants to the country. Immigrants were welcome but not while there were numbers of men out of work. Mr Wallace added .that the total relief granted during the financial year would amount to about £27,000. the sum provided on the estimates being £20,000.