HOW CHARITABLE AID IS DISPENSED.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 202, 30 August 1887, Page 4

HOW CHARITABLE AID IS DISPENSED.

The amount of money annually expended for relief in this city ha 3 frequently been commented upon, and the opinion expressed that some of the money must of necessity be misap. plied. The present members of the Charitable Aids Committee are now making praiseworthy efforts to ensure that only deserving cases shall be relieved. Thatthe administrationhasbeen lax, there can be little doubt Every now and againMrUdy—who appears to have made this portion of the Board's duties a special subject of investigation—comes before the Board with some fresh case in which relief has been misapplied. Such cases are now quietly referred, without discussion, to the Relieving Officer to report upon. These reports are occasionally very interesting. For instance, four cases were brought before the Board at the ordinary meeting last evening. They are put down as "rations supplied to supposed destitute persons." In the first case rations were supplied from 1871 to 1876, and again from 1884 to 1887, total cost 16s 9|d. The second is an old woman who was relieved from 1885 to 1887, receiving £62 11s 5Jd. The third is a man, who for the last seven years obtained ;£B7 17s 9|d as relief. Another woman during the last three years has received. ;£l6 16s worth of rations. Allthesepersons have been found to have relatives in positions capable of affording them support, bufc who apparently prefer to transfer their liability to the ratepayers. Mr Udy quoted figures last night to show that, in one instance, a woman was still receiving relief whose married daughter was a teacher under the Education Board, and, during the time her mother was being supported by the public, had received 15 iii salary, or at the rate of ,£135 per annum. Her son was also in ft comfortable position. It will be seen that the money paid in the four cases cited, if the facts turn out on inquiry to be as they are represented, amounts to the respectable sum of £254 2s Bjd, which ought not to have been cast upon the public funds.

There can be little doubt that the Board have acted. wisely in securing the services of ex-Detective Strathern to inquire into various chronic cases of supposed destitution. Stories are told of rations being exchanged for liquor, and a thorough investigation ought to be made into the bona fides of every case in which relief is granted. While having every sympathy with genuine distress, we cannot help hoping that professional mendicants maybe severely dealt with. They not only defraud the taxpayer* but they wrong the deserving poor, against whom the bowels of public compassion are often closed through the misdeeds of ot-hars.