Poverty in Christchurch.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 66, 14 June 1912, Page 9

Poverty in Christchurch.

"There is no poverty in New Zealand," say tho smug, tho solf-aatisned, tho well-fed, tho well-clothed. "There is no poverty in this fair land of ours —this beautiful land wo delight to acclaim as 'God's Own Country."' Ah I what cant, is this. What irony! What blasphemy! A special Ohristchurch correspondent to the Nelson "Colonist" has another story to tell. And a most pitiable one it is, too. 'Tis thus ho writes:— "Say to any ordinary person whom yon moot that there is grim poverty in Christ church, and he will laugh at you; hut tbe social thinker, though he or she should have lifted but tho fringe of tho curtain which hides life's ugly side, will tell you of oases terrible enough for tears. Thero aro many reasons why the public does not know this: Christchurch has no shun areas, whe.ro the poor are huddled together with the criminal, nor has it any of the loudly charitable who trade upon the suffering they never relieve. Most of our poverty is of the Iype thai suffers quietly, and would die.-- perhaps does die sometimes — bearing its own burden; and the workers for Ihe unhappy oirnß aro of the fine typo which does fine things and does not speak of them, so the great bulk of tbe people go their ways, believing that, because they are fed and lie warmly abed of nights, ail other men in their city are as happy as they." No poverty in New Zealand! What need for a coal and blanket fund if there are none in want of ligk* and warmth? And yet we learn that the calls made upon the Chrislehurcli coal and blanket fend up to May _■! had far exceeded those in previous years. But let the "Colonist's" correspondent tell the story :— "The distribution had been commenced earlier than, usual this year, ns many applications had been received, forced no doubt by the coldness of the weather. This year the commitlec was .mil limning its gifts to those who wrote applications. It was known there were many who were too proud to apply, though their needs were sore. All ell'ortrf would bo made to hoax of such cases, and to help them quietly. Miss Cardie, who has been secretary of tho fund for four years, told .1 Tress' reporter grim tales of people who wvrc practically starving. Ordinarily tho coal and blanket fund did not commence di-tributing until dime, but already it had dealt villi more applications than had been received up to June in previous yean. Cue hundred and twenty applications had been recoiled, and on invosiigaling it was found that thrco only were undeserving.'' Head fin thcr :— "A district visitor said that in one case she had :<e:ud the children chewing tea-leaves, and in several others sho bad known children who would gnaw at the stalest crust. Sheer hunger urged ihem to oat. however unpalatable the subtleuco might b<», Sim said that many of these people, the absolutely I'Overly-s! i , iek ,, n, went, from boardinghouse to bofildilig-hoiir-o eoll-'ctiiig, not only fho broken meat, but the very food 1 brown away as unlit for service. A prominent citizen hacked her in tho latter stsiemmit. His official position, ho alleged, as well as his private capacity, bad given him examples of those -who ',\eio willing and eager to feed their families; upon food which others had rejected." No poverty in New Zealand! None an hungered and in rags! Would to God 'twere so in sooth. But there will always be poverLy —and greater and greater poverty—in New Zealand, aye, and c'en in fairer and still more beautiful lands, under the present capitalistic system of society. Abolish tho system, inaugurate tho Co-operati/o Commonwealth, and poverty will disappear and the poor no longer ho with us.

Education is a groat thing. It permits the daughter of a bricklayer's laborer to describe her father aa aide-de-camp to au arranger of «übo» in architectural construct ion works.