PUBLIC APPEALS IN CITY STREETS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19240, 29 November 1930, Page 11

PUBLIC APPEALS IN CITY STREETS.

COUNCIL MAY REDUCE NUMBER ALLOWED. Though every effort has been made by the By-Laws Committee of the City Council to keep the number of street appeals within reasonable limits, applications have becfome so numerous that it is likely that the whole question will shortly come under review. This week there have been two appeals which were not included in the list agreed upon at the beginning of the year, and while the public are willing to support worthy causes, a good deal of resentment has been felt concerning the amount of authorised public appeals in the city streets. When the attention of the Mayor (the Rev v J. K. Archer) was drawn to the matter this morning, he said that the policy of the council was definitely that there was to be only one street collection a month. Once a year the various applications were considered and the dates allocated. Occasionally a change of date took place, but that was subject to a mutual arrangement between the various organisations concerned. “The chief problem arises from the fact that applications for additional collections are received from time to time during the year, and while a good number are turned down, some are granted by the By-Laws Committee because of the very strong representations made to it,” the Mayor added. “When these additional permits are granted it is always under protest, whether the protest is felt or uttered, and in the judgment of the committee street collections should be strictly limited to one a month. “A Streak ot* Humanity.” “Perhaps, unfortunately, there is a streak of humanity in the members of the committee and these violations of what is supposed to be a hard and fast rule take place. At the same time I think I may say on behalf of the committee that this street collection business is being so overdone that the whole position will have to be reviewed. “So far as the effort made is concerned, I don't want in any way to criticise the Salvation Army, because as the members and officers know, I am in full sympathy with all its work. My understanding of the position was that it was quite definite that permission was granted for a sale of badges and not for a street collection. On the other hand it should be understood that the whole of the proceeds of yesterday’s effort will be devoted to the relief of distress.” Councillor J. W. Beanland, a member of the By-laws Committee, said that the committee had under consideration the question of grouping the appeals so as to o\*ercome the difficulty of having more than one ’collection a month. Authorised Appeals. The following are the street appeals that have been authorised by the City Council this year:— February 4—Sailors’ Society. March 14—St John- Ambulance Association. April 24 —Poppy Day. May 2—Society for the Protection of Women and Children. June 4—Y.W.C.A. July 11—-Cancer Appeal Committee. July 30—Beautifying Association. September 12—Plunket Society. September 26—Creche and Kindergarten Association. October 10—Salvation Army. October 17—St Saviour’s Homes. November 7—Navy League. November 26 - Annie Herbert Memorial. December 3 —Summit Road Trust. December 19—Rotary Club’s appeal.