Mr. B. Fisher, the Treasurer of the Durban Jewish Benevolent, Society, writes in the “Zionist Record” here drawing attention to the large number of Jewish men and boys who are going from town to town in search of work. If something is not done soon, he says, these people will slowly but surely degenerate into tramps and useless citizens.
My society have done, the best they can for our local people, Mr. Fischer writes, but we are now inundated with outside applicants who seek aid and work. For these cases we are not in a position to do much, but-in most cases they are sent to another town by rail. The result is that thousands of pounds are being spent annually by the various Benevolent Societies in the country on rail fares with no material benefit to any of the applicants who call for assistance.
Mr. Fisher proposes a Conference of Deputies from all the Jewish benevolent societies to formulate a scheme and suggests as a way out a home for unemployed Jews in a central spot, preferably Johannesburg, where these men may feel at home and not feel they are outcasts depending on charity. The home should be run in conjunction with the existing Labour Employment Bureau there, and financed by subsidy from the various benevolent societies in South Africa.
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