RELIEF PAYMENTS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10311, 21 January 1927, Page 5

RELIEF PAYMENTS

SERIOUS POSITION IN JfVCKLAND annual estimates expended IN NINE MONTHS. BOARD WANTS SAY IN IMMIGRATION. (Special to the Times.) AUCKLAND, Jan. 19. “What will be the position next winter if that is the position now?” asked the chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board Mr. W. Wallace at .the meeting last night, after it had .been stated that nearly 200 persons were now receiving charitable aid from the Board. “In the nine months ended December 31, the whole of the amount provided in the estimates for relief for twelve months, had been expended,” said Mr. "Wallace,” no less than £20,000, which is £0,400 over the amount spent for the same period during the previous year." Mr. Wallace added that it would bean “eye opener” for any member or the public to come along to a meeting of the Relief Committee of the board. “It was of no use for some critics to say that men came along for relief who would not work. They arc decent hard working men, but they cannot get work. If the Government contended that the giving of relief to unemployed was the duty of hospital hoards then boards should have a say on the matter of bringing immigrants to the country. Immigrants were welcome in normal times, but not when there were numbers ot men out of work here.” The total relief granted during the financial

v year. Mr. Wallace estimated, -would amount to about £27,Out), although the amount provided for in the estimates was only £20,009. Mr. W. Iv. liowitt said the present position was heartrending. At one time the board had many applications from men who are hot too anxious to work, but such was not the ease now.

It was decided to reaffirm the board's decision to accept Cabinet’s offer to pay only half the amount disbursed by the board in unemployment relief under protest, and to press for -the payment of the other half when the Prime Minister returns.