The Sun FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1928 A CRUSADE AGAINST DISTRESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 405, 13 July 1928, Page 8

The Sun FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1928 A CRUSADE AGAINST DISTRESS

ST is a misnomer to talk about the great charity drive which is to 1 be made throughout Auckland to-morrow in aid of those in poverty and distress as an ambitious campaign. It has all the merits of an essential crusade. And its moral purpose cannot he set at too high a material value. The position is plain and simple. Social misery is more acute in the community this winter than it has ever been for more than one generation, and thus the necessity for generous relief in cash and comforts is appealingly urgent. This fact should not he treated as a melancholy condition of affairs or taken by sensitive optimists who have never felt the pinch of hunger as another reason for exercising whimpering cowardice and expressing regret about deplorable pessimism. It should be accepted as the bugle call to brisk and effective action for the relief, if not altogether the eradication, of an economic evil and a lamentable misfortune. To-morrow’s charity campaign ought to be much the most important activity in the community, and placed in front of sport, entertainment and all the fun of the New Zealand Saturday. It is the supreme duty of all the citizens in employment and enjoying a measure of prosperity to help those who need emancipation from their present load of poverty. And it is good for the soul to forget the savings bank and the lures of expensive pleasure for a day and give first with quick goodwill and generosity to an honest and a deserving cause. The charity drive, as planned and organised by the Auckland Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Association, promises a substantial result. The campaign will be thorough and complete in the efficiency that marked a similar attack on impoverished distress by the same organisation six years ago. On that occasion the yield was splendid, giving £2,000 in cash and providing clothes and goods valued at £B,OOO. Such a result demonstrated what this community can do when its warm heart is touched and its eager mind' devoted to the best side of life. But it would be foolish to depend on the influence and example of tradition for better success to-morrow. Six years ago patriotism had not lost its war-time mobility and resourcefulness. The people were more responsive to the distress of men who had fought to safeguard New Zealand’s prosperity. The same generosity is latent in Auckland, and will respond to a true appeal. It is to he hoped that it will be given a notable exercise to-morrow, because the. need of a more generous response is much greater now than it was six years ago. Fifteen hundred volunteer campaigners will take part in tomorrow’s raid on distress. A splendid effort is assured, and the public of Greater Auckland may be depended upon to make a noble response. Neither creed nor sect is concerned in the great drive. Its promoters have one aim only: Help the poor and needy without giving any special heed at all to distinctive organisations, whose work shall go on as ever and know no slackening. The result is with the citizens. One cannot help but contrast the honest thoroughness and efficiency of the commercial travellers’ and warehousemen’s prospect with the extravagant, feckless methods of representative politicians who continue to waste thousands of pounds on ridiculous party chatter, instead of getting on with the country’s legislation business- Let the citizens of Auckland put Parliament out of their minds to-morrow, and demonstrate in a generous way how a city can meet the curse of unemployment and the disgraceful misery of social distress.