FREE SOUP,

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5327, 17 September 1928, Page 1

FREE SOUP,

KITCHEN’S AID. 16,401 MEALS SUPPLIED. Parents, starving to keep their children, decent, and men who want work but canncjt find it;, are the people whom Mr D. L. Macdonald is trying: to aid with soup, brawn, and dripping at h's kitchen. 36% Union Street, Pyrmont (says a Sydney paper). So far he has struggled along, using his o,wn income and subscriptions obtainted by his wife ; but thq w'Ckk has grown to such'an extent that he i s enlisting the: ’help) of collectors. Mr Macdonald emphasised that every family’s case was thoroughly investigated before food was given out. “We are now serving 110 to 120 mein a day,” he said*. “This morning 1 had 63 who had slept out la‘-t night. ■Many families had seven to ten children and nothing in the hau.se. One letter I received last night said: am sending this: note because we have nothing, in the house.’ -The writer was a half-caste African six children. “Last Sunday I fojMild two families. One. consisted of five children, and the father-was 'ill and had been, c(ut of work for two and a half months. Eyerything in the house had been pawned. There was not even a crust. “The other family was tha,t of a New Zealand returned (soldier- not eligible far the pension. There were five, children. The family was living in rooms, and the members had been told that they would have tp get out unless the rent was paid. A prominent solicitor, paid it and we haye beeen keeping the family for a, fortnight. “1 picked up 27 men in the Domain one, Friday nlight,. and 24 of tiiem were honestly ready for work if they could find employment. “We have' found an extraordinary demand for dripping, which with bread provides a feed for many poor people. We have formed boiys’ a,nd girlo’ clubs t.o help to keep the children off the streets.” Men are served in the mining and children aga.in at nloon. In three months the kitchen has provided 16,401 meals, 4107 billycans of soup, 14001 b dripping, and 12161 b brawn. Mr Macdonald himself installed gas cockers, but the; weekly bill for ga? alone, is 30,5. The only paid help is one local girl, who washes up. Collectors are supplied 1 -with official receipts, and Mr Macdonajd said the kitchen and its accounts were open to anyone to inspect. Old ' boots, shirts, and singlets would be. welcomed.