CENTRAL REGISTRATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1049, 13 August 1930, Page 8

CENTRAL REGISTRATION

SOCIAL WORKERS MOVE TO UNITE EFFORT RELIEF OF DISTRESS Aiming' to eliminate the overlapping in disbursement of funds in relieving distress, representatives of a number of social organisations in Auckland moved yesterday afternoon toward the establishment of a central bureau for the registration of those applying to these bodies for assistance. The proposal was referred to the Auckland Social Workers’ Association executive to submit details of alternative schemes to a meeting to be summoned. The need for all organisations in the City distributing relief linking up with the Social Workers' Association was strongly stressed by members present at the meeting. The president, the Rev. R. G. Morton, said that the idea was to bring into operation the system of card registration at a central office of all who applied to various organisations for relief. This plan would result in more efficient working, and eliminate the overlapping which was revealed by the Commercial Travellers’ Association’s recent drive. Tie believed that the financing of the scheme would be fairly considerable. The fact that there were a number of special cases, notably those of elderly people, which should not bo registered, was mentioned by Mr. Halliday. These cases, he said, should be under a special officer. “If carried out wisely, the scheme can l>e done very cheaply,” observed the Rev. Jasper Calder. The secretary of the Onehunga Ladies’ Benevolent Society expressed the opinion that a central registration office would not benefit that organisation because it had its own cases which did not come into contact with City organisations. HELPING OWN MEMBERS The Rev. Mr. Whiting announced that the Rev. L. B. Fletcher had requested him to state that the Beresford Street Church did not wish to link up entirely with the scheme. Its work was started to help members of its own church, and the children in the Sunday Schools. the scheme as one of the greatest for the closer co-operation of the social organisations of Auckland, the Rev. C. G. Scrimgeour said that thousands would be sa.ved by having a central registration office, which would greatly benefit the various organisations. The matter was important and urgent, and the plan would eliminate the chances of persons travelling from one organisation to another. Instead of working in a petty way, they would be operating in a larger and more successful way. The Rev. Jasper Calder suggested that for the purpose of finance, the organisations should be classed A, B and C for contributing purposes. A separate office was not required, but merely the use of a business office in the City, equipped with a telephone, at, say, a cost of from £1 to £2 weekly. Twelve months’ experimenting would be sufficient to show the proper lines on which to work. Bitter disappointment at the small attendance was expressed by Major Annie Gordon, who said that the overlapping in distributing relief was nearly killing social W'orkers. The Rec. C. G. Scrimgeour expressed the opinion that if the, social organisations required £I,OOO for the purpose, and appealed for the money, they would get it. The organisations already gave away more in one day than the cost of a month’s operation of a central bureau.