POVERTY IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12772, 25 May 1912, Page 7

POVERTY IN CHRISTCHURCH.

(Special to Herald.)

CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Say to any ordinary person whom you meet that there is grim poverty m Christchurch and he will laugh at you, 'but .the social thinker, though he or she should have lifted but the fringe of the curtain which hides . life's .ugly side, will tell you of cases- terrible enough for tears. There., are many reasons why the' public does 'not know. Christchurch has no slum areas where the pool* are huddled together with the criminal, nop has it any of , the loudly charitable who trade upon the suffering they never relieve. Most of- our poverty is of the type that suffers quietly and would' die —perhaps does • die sometimes — bearing its own burden, and the workers for the unhappy ones, are- of the fine type which does fine things 'and does not spealg , of them. So the great bulk of the people go their ways, believing that because .they are fed and lie warmly abed of nign'ts all other men m their city aro as happy as they are to-day. A Press reporter spoke to the Mayor, Mr H, Holland,- touching the work done already this year by the Mayor's coal and blanket fund. ; Mr Holland said that he knew of no finer work m -the city. It was doing, much work, and was doing it both speedily and •carefully. The distribution had been commenced earlier than usual this' year, as many applica-' tions had been received, forced no doubt by the coldness of the weather this year. Tlie committee was not limit-big its gifts to those .who wrote applications. Ifc j was known that there were many who were too proud to apply, .though their neeeds were sore. All efforts Would be made to near of such, cases and to help them quietly. • \ -

Cardale, who has been secretary of the fund for four years, told\th© reporter grim tales',.'.. of '< people who were practically starving. Ordinarily the coal -and blanket furid .' did not commence distribution until June, but already it had dealt with more" applications than I had been received up tq June m previous years. Otic hundred and twenty applications liad' been received, and on investigation it was found . that three only were undeserving. A ' district visitor said that m one cas« she had found the children chewing tea leaves,' and m several ••■ other cases \ she had k-hown children who would gnaw at the stalest crusts. Sheer .'hunger, urged them to eat, however unpalatable the substance might be. She said that many of these people, the absolutely povertystricken, went from boarding-house to boarding-house", collecting not only the broken meat, but thfe very food thrown away as unfit for service. A, prominent-.] citizen backed, her up m the latter j statement. His v official position', "he | said, as well as his private capacity, had given him examples of these who were willing and eager to. feed their^ families upon food Avhich ' others had rejected.