MEASURES FOR RELIEF

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1932, Page 9

MEASURES FOR RELIEF

EMERGENCY FUND OPENED u-VITPEAL ISSUED TO CVMMVNITV. DONATIONS SOON REACH £:00. SAVINGS BANK'S HANDSOME Gll-T. At tho meeting of New -Plymouth citizens called by the Mayor yestcnlay to consider the grave unemployed position in tho town it was announced that in response to the Mayors urgent appeal issued on Thursday sums totalling £2OO had been donated to tho special emergency fund, and in addition oideis on groceries had been donated -by Messrs J. McNeill and Burgess and Fraser, Ltd. Included in the donations was a splendid contribution of £lOO from the New Plymouth -Savings Bank, and £5O from an anonymous donor who wished his contribution to be used as insurance against personal loss that might be sustained in granting emergency relief. Other donations include £lO from the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, £lO 10s, from Taranaki Amusements Ltd., £2O from the Taranaki Law Society. In addition Taranaki Amusements, Ltd., with the authority of the Mayor, would -give a suitable picture, entertainment on’ Sunday evening, all the labour being supplied free, and the whole of the takings would be given ti relief. It was hoped by this means to net anything up to £7O. To deal with the position on behalf of the citizens an executive comprising the Mayor (Mr. (H. V. S. Griffiths) and Messrs R. B. Gosnell, T. C. List, P. E. Stainton, J. S. Connett and B. Thorne was set up by the meeting to go into ways and means of quickly collecting an emergency relief fund. At a subsequent meeting of this executive the Mayor was appointed chairman and the town clerk, Mr. F. T. Bellringer, secretary. In view of the possible return of Mr. S. G. Smith, member for the district, from Wellington to-day the Mayor was appointed to endeavour to get into touch with Mr. Smith at Wellington last night by phone and acquaint him with the position, in case he might think it-advisablc to stay at Wellington to . make .personal representations to- the. authorities concerned. ■lt was decided to establish a Mayor’s fund in which to pay tho £2OO already given during the 'last two days and any future amounts that might be given. The fund will be administered ■by the citizens’ committee, and the distribution of relief will be made through the Hospital board, with the assistance of the New Plymouth Relief Association where necessary. Mr. Bellringer suggested that a canvass -be made of the district with the object of securing orders for work to 'be done.

Mr. List suggested that such- a canvass would carry most weight if carried out by -representative citizens of some standing in the town. On Mr. Stainton’s suggestion it was resolved to ask the New Plymouth Rotary Club to undertake the scheme of endeavouring to secure work for the unemployed. Mr. Stainton paid a tribute to the generosity -that had been going on for a long while in the matter of donations of meat by local butchers. Messrs O. W. 'Sole and G. Tremlett were appointed a sulb-connnittee to organise the distribution of meat on a proper basis. The principle of a street day was approved, and it was resolved to get into touch with the matron of the New 'Plymouth Hospital and the 'Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union with the object of securing the assistance of the nurses and t'he members of -the latter organisation in the street day effort. In discussing the .position subsequent to the passing of the resolution of protest the Mayor said that Taranaki Amusements had applied for permission to screen pictures next '.Sunday night in order to obtain funds for unemployed relief. He had granted permission for the screening. The suggestion had also been made that a huge street day should be arranged to supplement the fund for use in emergency measures. Mr. List: I have been asked to state that t'he whole of the service and -labour on Sunday might will be given free, and the company has also given a donation of £lO 10s. Mr. R. H. Quilliam has asked me to state that the New Plymouth, solicitors- have given £2O. (Applause.) The Rotary Club on Monday ■would also consider what assistance could 'be given, continued Mr. List. Mr. Stainton said it was very gratifying to see so many organisations represented at the meeting, especially ■bodies outside New Plymouth such as the Farmers’ Union.

In reply ; to a question the Mayor said that the New Plymouth Relief Association was at present -administering the emergency fund through the Hospital Board, which was doing the distributing. Mr. 0. -W. Sole suggested that ar-

■rangements might -be made with the Master Butchers’ Association to get meat for practically nothing—in fact nothing at all if the necessity was very urgent. (Applause.) Mr. R. W. D. Robertson said doubtless the . master butchers’ admirable offer would be gladly accepted Mr. R. Cock, chairman of the New Plymouth -Savings Bank trustees, said that the bank had recently given £2OO for relief -purposes. He had experienced tho distress in Now Plymouth in the ’sixties but he had never before known such distress as there,was to-day. The trustees therefore offered the additional sum of £lOO to feed the needy. (Prolonged applause.) By law they could not make such a grant, added Mr. Cock, but they would take the risk on the chance that they could make it good afterwards with tho Audit Department.

Mr. List stressed the point that what they were doing that afternocu was absolutely necessary, but there were other ways in which they could help. For instance, they had been told a lot about the “stand-down” week. Did they noi think that if an appeal were made offers would come in to employ men at odd jobs during thci. “stand-down” week? During the past month or two there had (been a certain amount of th-at sort of thing going on, often at considerable sacrifice to the men who did the employing, but he felt the need was not fully realised, and that was why more offers of odd jobs had not been made. People had got into the way of thinking that the Government was supplying sufficient work to give the unemployed a living allowance. Today one could get work done more cheaply than was likely to be the case for a long while to come, and the person who postponed work he was in a position to put in hand to-day was acting unwisely. Any -additional jobs that could be created wouhl reduce the number of men to l>o provided with emergency relief —BOG at the present time.

“I am one of those who think that the turn of the tide has come,” eaid Mr. List in conclusion, “and I feel that better times are in sight.” He referred to the improvement in the European situation, England’s economic -recovery, and the possibilities- of the Ottawa Conference, and concluded by saying that the present time and the next month or two would be th© darkest hour before the dawn.

The Mayor thanked Mr. List for his constructive suggestion. Mr. R. Cock: As an illustration of how cheaply work can (be done at the present time, I let a small contract this morning for £2'B 10s. In ordinary times you could not get the work done for £5O.

Mr. Gosnell and Mr. Thorne expressed thanks for the liel-p being given to the unemployed in their hour of need, and to the citizens for attending the meeting in such large numbers and tackling the problem with s-ueh determination. Mr. Thorne pointed out that there were 306 men affected in this “standdown” week, but next week and the week after would also (be “otand down” weeks for other men. He understood county men would be> standing down next week.

The Mayor: I think wo should get together as -large an. emergency fund us possible. The Mayor expressed his gratitude to the -unemployed -men for the courageous way in which they had met the position. As long as they stood by constitutional methods, he said, they would find that the citizens would not let them down. (Applause.) He wished to congratulate the men on their splendid spirit. Votes of thanks were expressed to the givers of donations to 'the emergency fund.

MAYOR MAKES REPRESENTATIONS MR. S. G. SMITH’S REPLY. The Mayor, Mr. IT. V. S. Griffiths, was. able Io get into couunuuication with Mr. S. G. Smith, M.l’., in Wellington by telephone last night. He conveyed to Air. Smith a aiimuiary of the discussion and resolution patssed at the meeting of citizens yesterday afternoon. Later in the evening Mr. Smith telegraphed the Mayor as follows: — "'Regarding additional relief requetded for unemployed New Plymouth with particulars forwarded by you, 1 am fortunately ou the spot here to make full rcproscuttiliouw to tho Unemployiment Board, and their reply will be forwarded you earliest possible moment. Only clear sense of duty and a hope that I may be able to render some further useful service to the unemployed youth of New Zealand Impels me to accept position o-n advisory and investigation committee now sitting here. Hence my absence from meeting willed by you to-diiy. For your information board's estimated average weekly Income £60,300, but Cabinet in sipito difficulties made special arrangcmcnlH to supplement for winter months und lioard's expenditure now nt rate of £BB,OOO weekly, Ilins showing every effort being nuulv meet position.”