MORE THAN USUAL

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1930, Page 2

MORE THAN USUAL

MEN SEEKING SHELTER. The number of men seeking free beds and meals at the Auckland City M."sion’s night shelter is increasing each night. For the past few weeks the nightly attendance has averaged about 140, but on a recent evening the number rose to 157.

Mr Bart Clark, organising secretary of the mission, said this morning that since the acting-Prime Minister informed the House of Representatives last week that work was being found for the Auckland unemployed, men from all parts of the North Island had been' finding their way to the city in the hope that they might be put on. Many of these men arrived in a more or less pitiable state, in most cases with the boots worn off their fqet, but the general air of cheerfulness under adverse conditions was surprising.

, The number of free beds supplied since the shelter opened in May was 19,160, and the free meals supplied amounted to 39,246. The mission had sent to jobs in the country ‘ 380 men from' the shelter, only five or six of whom had not given satisfaction. In addition to this number, the Government Labour Bureau had sent 125 to relief works. ’ Mr Clark said the night shelter committee had hoped that it would not be necessary to carry the shelter on much longer this year, hut the idea of discontinning while the necessity was so apparent could not be entertained. The main difficulty Was finance, and the committee was making an appeal to the public for support to carry on for another few weeks.

During the period that the shelter has been open free medical attention and medicine have been given by the mission’s honorary medical officer, Dr. Barraclough, in 177 cases.