SANTA CLAUS FORGETS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 234, 22 December 1927, Page 15

SANTA CLAUS FORGETS

HOMES WITHOUT XMAS CHEER SOCIAL WORK AMONG POOR A|A X Y sad smiles will be forced x '-*- through tears of adversity, and many childish eyes will gladden on this Christmas morning when the message of goodwill and charity arrives from the city social workers to embellish the frugal family board. But the hearts of many mothers and fathers will ache on the self-same morning when disappointed children find that for once Santa Claus has forgotten to call. This Christmas story would be one of cheer and gladness—-it should be one of Yuletide happiness and peace—but Christmas this year comes into the minds of many Aucklanders as a stinging reminder of the good seasons that have gone before. For who can write cheerfully of Christmas when, for the poor and needy of this city, it is the worst festive season relief workers can remember? For some the keen edge of poverty will be removed by the 'magnificent efforts that are being made with the distribution of goods, but these goods come from a less generous public, and are to supply an unprecedented number of deserving cases. Truly Santa Claus has forgotten many homes for the first time this Christmas. The number of people requiring relief this year is estimated at 50 per cent, above the figure which the social workers have been called upon to handle in previous years. The Rev. Jasper Calder was desperate. “We are £4OO down,” he said, as he figuratively flew about his little office at the City Mission. “On this day last year we received £l7O. This morning we received £3B. We are down each day, and are up against it for Christmas.” “Is it as bad as that? Cannot you give me one cheery word?” THE SUN man asked. “Look, old chap.” Mr. Calder laid his hand on the visitor’s shoulder. "I wish I could. Read this.” A distracted father wrote: “. . . I know you are up against it, but please try and i ve the kiddies just one taste of Christmas.” “What did you do?” “Do? Why, I sent him £l. He once held a responsible position in this city, but now he is down and out.”

“Well, how will you manage with the rest?” “The wealthy people of the city are letting us down this year. They say they cannot give it without feeling it. And the touching part is that we are receiving donations from those whom we know cannot spare it.” And so it was at the Salvation Army, where Major Annie Gordon was nearly distraught, but struggling bravely with piles of Christmas packages. “I usually have 300 parcels to send out,” she said, talking to THE SUN man as she went on with her work of mercy, “but this year we have sent out over 400 already. The position is hard, and we are up against it this Christmas, because we thought everyone would be in work before now. If we could eliminate the de faulting husbands we would be much better, and if all husbands did their duty to their families we would be able to handle the genuine unemployment cases. There .are hundreds of defaulting husbands. “The problem of social relief in this country has to be gone into, and gone into soon. It cannot go on like this, or we will have the dole system operating before we know where we are.” At the Hospital Board things are no brighter-. The relief department finance is in an extremely bad way, as revealed to the board yesterday, the annual estimate for relief expenditure for the financial year having been spent already, and probably will be exceeded by £B,OOO before tte end of the term. “They come here and get a few pounds, and before they are home the landlord, the butcher, and the bake: are on the doorstep for their money,' one official said. As in every walk of life, the slacker and the cadger does a great .‘deal of harm to the genuine relief case, and there was a general agreement among social workers this morning that if “passengers” and defaulting husbands could be rounded up and made to execute their duty, the task of the societies would be easier.