STRONG PROTEST.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20282, 17 April 1934, Page 5

STRONG PROTEST.

Evasive Letter Dealing With Relief. ASHBURTON INDIGNANT. (Special to the " Star.’’) ASHBURTON, April 16. The opinion of the Ashburton Borough Council in regard to the Unemployment Board’s policy of penalising owns which make a special effort to issist the unemployment problem and cutting down the weekly allocations for elief workers’ wages because of these efforts, was expressed in strong terms at a meeting of the council to-night, when it was stated definitely that no measure for procuring extra relief for distressed families would be undertaken by residents of the borough 'or the county this year. Last year’s special drive realised the sum of £I7OO. The matter arose when a letter was received from the Hospital Board asking the council to make a grant towards the purchase of meat for distribution among those in distress during the winter. The Mayor (Mr W. 11. Woods) said there was a distinct feeling in the dis.rict that because the\local bodies were combining and contributing to the relief of unemployment the legitimate allocations were being cut down. They should have an ascsurance from the board that the allocations would not be affected by any relief given by the citizens of the borough. The Hospital Board had asked for this assurance and received a reply which was considered by the Hospital Board to be most evasive and unsatisiactory, Councillor E. 11. Orr moved that a etter should be sent to the Unemployment Board asking for an undertaking )n its part that the Ashburton Borough allocation should not be penalised in any way because of emergency measures taken by the residents. The motion was carried and it was left to the Mayor and the Town Clerk to draft a letter to the Unemployment Board.