Cannot Recover Boots.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20649, 25 June 1935, Page 8

Cannot Recover Boots.

Dear Sir,—Kindly al’ow me to air a grievance in regard to the issue of boots to men on relief work. That's all right—but what about the wives and children? Is it not time something was done for us? Some time ago the Unemployment Board promised footwear for us, fjut nothing more has been done. I see children going to school wearing terrible looking shoes, and as a matter of fact one of my own children is wearing half worn-out sandshoes, while his boots are being mended, and wore them in all the Avet and snow during the last fortnight. His boots, which are in the Central Relief Depot, are mended, but as I cannot pay for them they will not allow us to have them out. My husband is on sustenance, getting £1 13s a week (with 15s for rent, etc., to pay out of that handsome amount), and I find it hard to even find a shilling for the repairs. And as I know of some people who do get their repairs done free at the depot, I ask, why do I have to pay?—l am, etc., RELIEF WORKER’S WIFE.

Answering a question by a reporter on the method of distribution and repairing of boots, Mr J. Black said that the system operating at the Central Relief Depot was that the boots were distributed free. The cost of having boots repaired was never more than Is 6d or 2s, and, if a person was unable to pay, all he had to do was see Mr A. B. Macintosh, director of the depot, who would consider the case and, if it was one of real hardship, the work would be done free of cost. This had been the system in the past. To those who were able to pay the cost was small and in cases of real need repairs free of cost would not be refused.—Ed. “ Star.”