Economic Distress in South African Jewry: 1931 Will Rank As Most Difficult Period Ever Experienced C

The year 1931 will rank as the most difficult period ever experienced by the Committee, who were faced with a problem hard to solve, the report of the Cape Jewish Board of Guardians presented to-day to the annual general meeting declares. The problem, it says, was how to alleviate the distress in the Community with a diminishing exchequer.

The depressed times, the report goes on, have not only made more numerous demands on the Board’s purse, but have hit the business section to such a severe extent that some of our most generous supporters have, much to their regret, not been able to provide the necessary fuel to keep alight the fires of charitable endeavour. The consequence is that not only are our funds depleted, but, at the end of the year under review, we had the unprecedented large overdraft of £1,484, and this cannot be increased, as the Board’s credit is limited.

The Committee were forced to curtail their grants in view of the drop in revenue. The extent of the poverty in the Community cannot be measured by the relief actually disbursed, for, with the burden of a large and increasing overdraft, individual grants had to be seriously out.

There is an increase in the amount disbursed in passages and rail fares, the report adds. The difficulty in finding employment locally for those out of work has necessitated the granting of the means to migrate to other towns. Many unemployed are thus and in other ways procured billets, but the unskilled applicant has presented a real problem to the Committee, who feel that in the interests of all concerned, and particularly to those whose domicile is elsewhere than Cape Town, it is best to help them to leave the town.