HELP FOR THE NEEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 June 1931, Page 6

HELP FOR THE NEEDY.

With the sympathy and goodwill that are characteristic of their kind the commercial travellers of New Plymouth once mere have organised an effort for the help of those members of the coniihuiiity who are really hard up. That there are mon, women and children in every city and toWn of the Dominion who are suffering voiy sereve hardship is now widely known. The number of mon who cannot find settled employment is far larger than ever before, ahd the utmost the organisations trying to make work for them have been able to manage has been partial employment., EvOn if men with dependents have eschewed everything in the way of personal extravagance, they and . their wives and children must have been having, a very hard time, and with* the failure of the Unemployment Board’s finance their otit|obk is very slid indeed. It is, no doubt, with the plight of the women and children uppermost in their minds that the commercial travellers propose to undertake tb-ihorifew a “clothes drive” in New Plymouth, They intend to call at evefy home in the hopfe that help will be forthcoming in the way of clothing, bedding, boots and articles of food. The appeal will be made, of to a great many people who ate not themselves any too well off just now, for there can be few persons in any community in this country who are enjoying what could be called normal prosperity. But the experience of the majority will have taught its lesson; those who are finding it necessary to be more careful in their own affairs than they used to be in better times will realise the more readily how urgent is the case of the still more unfortunate section and will try to give something to alleviate their actual distress. , It may be said here that everyone who responds to the appeal will know that the beet usb will be made of his gift. The commercial travellers are working with the New Plymouth Relief Committee, afid the two organisations can be trusted to use discretion in the allocation of all the goods and funds they receive. They know where the genuine cases of hardship are and the nature of their requirements, and they are so well informed and alert that no one is likely to be able to impose on them. New Plymouth has always responded generously to appeals for charity. If people will, realise that the utmost generosity is needed now their gifts will bring a little brightness into (he lives of many folk who, through no fault of their own, mtist depend upon charity to keep them from misery and actual starvation.