HOMELESS PEOPLE.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 378, 9 March 1937, Page 5

HOMELESS PEOPLE.

Famous Settlement Near

Sydney. Wellington, March 9. Widely known ap the founder of the famous Hammondville Pioneer Homes Settlement, 20 miles out of iSydney, Canon R. B. S. Ham|mond, I rector of St. Barnabas’ Church, Sydney, arrived in Wellington by the Awatea yesterday morning. He intends to spend a month’s holiday with friends at Blenheim and Nelson before returning to hie settlement, and hopes to give a number of illustrated lectures about Hammondville during his stay, in the Dominion. When the depression hit Sydney five years ago, more than 8000 people were evicted from their homes in 12 months. There were 300 tingle men sleeping in parks in Sydney every night, and to me they seemed the best possible material for violent Communism,” Canon Hammond said in an interview. “All this gave me the idea of creating a village settlement! to connect idle men with idle land.” First of all, however, he turned his attention to the city workless and gradually acquired five big ibuildings which accommodated in the aggregate nearly 500- men. The project gained the sympathy of Sir Frederick Stewart, a. former Cabinet Minister, and he gave an initial donation of £5OO toward the maintenance of the first family hoslbcl. Then the plight of many hard-hit married people claimed his support., and as conditions became better for the single men, concentrated upon the establishment of four more family hostels, each of which provided for GO families. “At presenlt there are four Hostels and one building for 300 men,” he continued. “There's a big waitinlg list even though there is a distinct decrease in unemployment in the city.”