COST OF RELIEF

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1001, 18 June 1930, Page 9

COST OF RELIEF

HOSPITAL DRAINED BY UNEMPLOYMENT HEAVY MAY FIGURES Tho cost of unemployment was forcibly brought home to the Auckland Hospital Board yesterday's meeting when a report was submitted to the board by the relief committee. In connection with the report Mr. Ilowitt, chairman of the committee, said it was an important report inasmuch as it showed the drain upon the board’s resources through unemployment. “Things are just about as bad as they can be,” he said. The report showed that for the month of May 217 new applications were considered and 521 cases revised, as compared with the previous month, when the figures were S 6 and 338 respectively. The following table shows the causes of tho applications during tho months of March, April and May, the increased applications by reason of unemployment being particularly noticeable during the latter month.

At the dispensary 241 new patients attended in May, 175 in April and 197 In March. The number of prescriptions dispensed rose from 1,755 in March to 1,994 in May and the cost of dispensing from £IOO to £ll4 during the same period. Tho cost to tho board in rents, cash grants and general stores was £2,720 in March, £2,991 in April and £3,014 in May. Together with the cost of fuel, fares, interments and sundries, tho cost of relief to the board for March, April and May was £2,900, £3.212 and £3,472 respectively, the cost for the same months in the previous year being £2.995, £3,085 and £3,192 respectively. “The board is being called upon to meet this charge, and it has been criticised for doing so,” said Mr. M. J. Savage. “We must do it, however. We can’t afford to wait until Parliament wakes up. This is one method of waking up the public to the position. We admit frankly that we are not solving the problem, but that is not our function. We are here to give relief.” The chairman. Mi*. W. Wallace, said it was possible that a special unemployment rate would have to be struck in the future. People would then be awake to the drain upon boards in providing relief for a national problem. The report was received.

Unemployment . . . March. April. May 170 201 433 48 47 65 Sicfcness Old ape . . 4 , . 10 IS 20 Widowhood . . .. Imprisonment 5 S 14 Insufficient means . > . 26 26 4S