STARVING IN STREET

Southland Times, Issue 18962, 8 June 1923, Page 7

STARVING IN STREET

PATHETIC CHRISTCHURCH CASE. (Special to the Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 6. A man out of work and almost starving, on a very cold morning collapses; this epitomises what turned out to be a rather pathetic incident at the Trades Hall this morning. As winter advances unemployment is increasing and jobs are eagerly sought after. Every morning there is a little group outside the Trades Hall waiting to consult the secretary of the Labourers’ Union. Such a gathering was present this morning getting the benefit of the little sunshine which was making fitful attempts to dispel the effect of the overnight frost, of nearly ten degrees. One of the men was rather taller than the others, or perhaps it was the thinness of his frame that accentuated this appearance. Suddenly he fell to the footpath in a dead faint. He was “well out” according to the description given afterwards, and a doctor was summoned. The medical man was not long in diagnosing the trouble, simply lack of nourishment. The man was starving, and all he needed was a rest and good food. So a number of people at the Trades Hall had a “muster” to assist the unfortunate one. It was ascertained that the man, who is 43 years of age, is married and has dependent on him a wife and seven children. He had been in casual employment at various times in the past few months. How much sacrifice he had made of late he might not care to tell, but his physical collapse speaks for itself.