SERIOUS UNEMPLOYMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 380, 25 September 1930, Page 7

SERIOUS UNEMPLOYMENT

AUCKLAND CONDITIONS

SITUATION GETTING WORSE VISIT TO THE DOSS HOUSE [Special to "Chronicle.”] AUCKLAND, Sept. 24. The position in Auckland regarding unemployment is tragic, said Mr William Wallace, chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board to-day. Usually at this time of thc year things nre be ginning to brighten up, but this year, though, the winter is over and gone, the number of unemployed increases instead of decreases.

“Last night I paid a visit to the night shelter of the Auckland City Mission, commonly known as ‘The Doss House,’ and I was much distressed,” said Mr Wallace. “The organiser, Mr Clark, showed me round and I was particularly struck by the type of mon occupying the beds. There was none of the dead-beat class about. Any of the 145 men I saw housed there last night by half past eight, and fully 130 of them, would be fit for any class of work. One man with whom I was talking said, ‘Don’t you think, Mr Wallace, that tho solution of the difficulty is to put us on the land?’ I said, ‘Undoubtedly.’ That incident showed the class of men hit by thig terrible unemployment. There is nothing of tho down and out about them. The records of the shelter produced for my inspection showed that from May 23 until last night 18,025 free beds had been provided and 36,821 free meals given. In tho main dormitory there were 96 beds very close to one another of necessity, and in a smaller room bunks two deep had been knocked up. All this accommodation was full last night and men were lying on the floor. A record for any one night is 168 men. ”