HUMANITY CALLS

Evening Star, Issue 20132, 23 March 1929, Page 11

HUMANITY CALLS

BELIEF OF SUFFERERS DISASTROUS FLOOD FOR THE POOR POVERTY AND DESPAIR IN HOMES • The sun is shining brilliantly for tho holiday to-day, but in many homes in Dunedin there is bleakness. The flood waters have carried in their path of destruction all that made these houses “ home, sweet home ” for the poorer peoplj of the city. Amid the ruins stalks the spectre of poverty and despair, a spectre which makes the homelessness and pitiful future for hundreds of people heartrending. In their homes on the reclaimed area they were happy, although struggling for existence, but now they are hopeless, and in many instances penniless. What little furniture and clothing they possessed has been ruined by the water and mud, and before them lie years of struggle for rehabilitation. One half of Dunedin docs not know of the conditions under which the other half lives. That is a truism. But in this time of stress that apathy towards the lot of the poorer people disappears in a practical display of interest and compassion with the sufferers. Many of the homes flooded are very neat and cosily furnished, but in other blocks the houses are mere hovels. Between the four walls of those time beaten shacks hundreds of people are spending their lives in a hand-to-mouth existence.

'Au inspection, of ibe Mood arcus will 5-eveai an indictment against the bousing conditions of tbo city and tbc people who live tliorc. 1 hev cannot a fiord to be burdened with the destitution which is now their lot. This story is of an hour’s visit to some typical homes seriously affected by the Mood. It is an unvarnished account of what is to be seen. On every hand there is deplorable poverty, and despair is tho main emotion expressed. Even the cynic who visited some of the homes would bo affected by the necessity for assistance. Tho appeal goes out from many homes, it is frantic, and must be answered.

EIGHT CHILDREN HOMELESS. In one house in Castle street, not three minutes’ walk from the railway station', eight children were living with their grandmother, who was taking care of them while tiie mother was in a maternity home. Into this house, where living conditions were cramped, tho water swept. On a couch was a lad of seventeen years—a hoy who had mover moved from his bod. tour children were carried out of the house by sailors from the warship, but the grandmother and the other children stayed behind. Their homo is now v, recked. Tho furniture is spoilt and tho bedding ia soaked. To tliis muddy and poor home the children returned yesterday. They had no clothes to wear but those in which they stood. A girl, almost bordering on womanhood, was dressed in a pair of man’s Manuel trousers and a sweater. There was little food in tho house, and as the garden and •streets were still covered with mud, and the backyard—no bigger than a boxing ring—was in a sickening condition, tho family was conlined to tho house.

■ And for that house, unfitted lor habitation even in tho best ot weather (it is unprovided with the modern requirements of light and sanitation), the mother of tho uiuo children is paying 25s a week.

In one lives mi old ago pensioner aged seveuty-two years. The furniture in ins homo is certainly ot good quality, hut its value is now negligible, as the water rose above the stove. His who was ill. To make matters worse for the old man, the i'urnitnro in his home started to collapse will the deluge of water, and he was forced to spend the night in the Salvation Army Barracks.

STILL IN DAMP CLOTHES. In the adjoining lint an elderly woman rose from scrubbing the floor iu the kitchen. She was trembling from the strain of the past three days. Her health was breaking. Little wonder, as she was still iu the clothes she was wearing on the night of the flood. She had not left her home, but her lather, an old man who does not receive a pension, had been given shelter. Iu another house in the same block in Castle street the 1 Star ’ man found au appealing ease. In that house lived a man and his wife and six children. Four of the youngsters were taken away on Tuesday night, and are still being sheltered, but the parents and two of the youngest children have returned to straighten up the home. It is wrecked. Before the Hood this family was destitute. For over four months, the husband, a seafaring man, Ims been nimble to work. He returned from a three months’ stay in hospital only a month before the flood. His spine was damaged when/he dived overboard to save a man, ami a piece of bone Ims been taken from his shin for grafting into his back. They are penniless. All their clothing Ims been ruined, and even the baby is without a complete outfit. Could anything bo more tragic ? The incapacitation of the husband -s complete. He is totally unable 'to carry even a loaf of bread, and for that reason he had not called at the relief depot. His boots were almost soleless, and pot another pair was to he found in the house. EXTREME DESPAIR Almost opposite this desolate home are two houses. In one of these the woman, in tears, described their losses. By, sheer courage and the assistance ot a friend a widow was able to clean out he;' house, hilt she has little of value 1 to now call her own. .The piano, which might have raised a few pounds .o tide tier over ner stress is ruined. The flood Has capped her misfortunes, for only last week her husband died. Without the sympathy of her mate the woman 9 is heartbroken at the’ wrecking of the ’home, iu which a happy married lito was spent. Her legacy is a desolate ■ horns ‘.and uo income.

And In all these houses curds bearing scriptural lessons were hanging. They are Christian people. Their reward would giro scope to the sceptics’ irony.

If three tiny rooms in a small cottage at tho end of a yard, lighted only by keroseno and candles, with no bath, washing tubs, or copper, and a backyard that would be cramped it two cases were stored in it, could be made into a comfortable homo, does it not show energy on the part of tho occupants P Tho determination of a young married couple to light their way through life in a. lowly tenement off Castle street is still shown in their home, although tho Hood has wrought havoc in it. The husband returned Iron hospital to spend some time in bed with internal trouble, but since tho Hood ho has been working about his home. Last night a visit to tho doctor for an examination of a returning abscess was made. No money has come into that spick and sgyan home, now a mess of silt and wrecked furniture, for a long time, but the young couple had managed to lilt their heads proudly. Their little daughter was a picture of health, evidence of lirst care of tho parents. A more attractive child could not bo found anywhere. Their plight is acute. Work for tho man is an impossibility. And 11s for rent has to be found every week! PENSIONER’S DESPERATION. In. Harrow street there is a row of old brick buildings occupied by poor people. In some of the houses the destitution is appalling. One woman had worked to stock her jam cupboard, but it, and tho larder, was swamped. Not au ounce of sugar or butter was eatable after the Hood visitation. And to make matters worse for her she had not a shilling with which to buy fresh provisions. Of the assistance given to them, all the people speak most gratefully. Tho boys who cleaned out the silt wore wonderful, they declared. Lut a heartrending story is told by a pensioner of seventy-nine years m Harrow street. For nine months Ins wife, but four years his junior, was bedridden, and she laid to-be carried out of the Hooded house shoulder high to an ambulance waiting in the street. And on top of that his homo was n.iued.

After years of residence in Harrow street another aged couple have been Luld that they must vacate their home owing to its insanitary condition, following the flood. 'I he water is lying under the house and the ground is covered with ■silt and slime, from which a nauseating effluvia is arising. The Rood has disappeared now, leaving them little to shift, and no money to shift will). This incident is given to show that the loss of goods valued Vt 8s worries the poor people. An old woman in Harrow street was .almost in tears as she told how she had failed to lift a tin of kerosene on to the kitchen table and it had been washed away. “It cost me Ss out of tho last pension," she said mournfully, “and 1 had just spent us on coal, which has also gone. It is terrible. I don’t know what I am to do.” A Maori ..woman of 72 was down on her knees on tho footpath in Harrow street yesterday afternoon scrubbing her mud-saturated linoleums. “It is no use sitting down and crying,’’ she said. She was but one of many who, although heartbroken at the destruction of their homes, kind set to,with a will to rehabilitate things. By going out to work every day a woman in .Leith street had managed to raise a family of four and give them a really cosy and well-furnished liome, but one fearful night of Mood lias destroyed the work of years. One could feel nothing but pity for this woman, who, as she went through her broken home, cried bitterly. Such arc the tragedies to bo seen in only one part of Dunedin. The call for succour has the command of a cry from the depths.

GREATER DAMAGE THAI* BEFORE BELIEF WORK AT FULL Sl’KKf). With the subsidence of Hie Hood waters workers arc now concentrating on the distribution of relief. The cleaning up is progressing satisfactorily, but omc days will elapse before anything Hike an assessment of the damage can be made. It is alrcadv estimated to greatly exceed that of the 19211 flood. An investigation of Mr B. Davidson’s property in the Leith Valley yesterday showed that the foundations of the house have collapsed. Further up the valley a dairy farmer, who has had three floods in six years, is ruined. Last night the Otago Harbour Board decided to make a donation of £I.OO towards the relief fund. A meeting of the executive of the relief fund was held this morning, there being present the deputy-mayor (Mr .1. y. Douglas), Messrs G. A. Lewin, E, B. Grace, and F. W. Mitchell. It was reported that Air W. Hayward and Mr Watson would visit the houses to go into the linoleum question. Mr Watson had offered to superintend the laying of the floor coverings for the people. Mr Douglas said a woman had telephoned him inquiring what wages she should pay a man for cleaning her property. Ho had advised her to obtain voluntary assistance and to forward the amount of wages to the relief fund, which would probably bo subsidised. On the occasion of the last flood the Government bad made a straightout grant of £2,000. Air Mitchell said the Bev. V. G. Bryan King had carried out a systematic inspection, in South Dunedin yesterday, and onß twenty families had sought relief. The spirit of the people was that others were more needy. Discussing the financial aspect, Mr Mitchell said the proposal to hold a street collection would be deferred. The deputy mayor made a request that all churches should make an appeal to-morrow for funds.

A telegram was received from Wanaka from Mr I’. 11. Sargood stating that Mrs Sargood and ho deeply deplored the visitation and sympathised with the citizens. He was posting a- cheque for £IOO towards the relief fund.

Tho committee inspected the depot this morning, and Mr Douglas reported that everything was progressing satisfactorily. The depot would be kept open on Sunday, and a distribution of blankets would also bo made to-morrow by lorry.

Messrs Oswald M. Smith and Co. have sent a quantity of goods to the headquarters of the committee for distribution in tho distressed areas. These donations have been made under the telegraphed instructions of Mr H. L. Tapley, C.M.G., chairman of directors, who wishes to express his sympathy.

Most of the hill districts which were without water from Wednesday experienced a welcome return of the supply yesterday. According to the report of the inspector of works of the Taieri County Council, the estimated damage to date on county roads, as a result of tho flood, is in the vicinity of £l,O-50. APPEAL TO CITIZENS.

“ The response by .some of tho citizens to tbe call for help by sufferers in the last big Hood lias been prompt and generous, but tho need is still very great,” states tho Deputy Mayor. “Many homes arc in a do plorable condition, and tho eases aro all tlo more distressing by reason of tho existence of so much unemployment. Every pound contributed now is worth much morctliaii later on, and on behalf of tho Belief Committee 1 make this appeal to all kindly-hearted folk who feel for their follows in distress.” Contributions should bo sent to the Town Hall.