PAUPERS ADRIFT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 104, 3 May 1890, Page 8

PAUPERS ADRIFT.

WHAT BECAME OF THE "HARMLESS LUNATICS." A NIGHT IN THE POLICE STATION. REPUDIATED BY THE CHARITABLE AID BOARD. TAKEN IN BY THE SALVATION ARMY. THE GOVERNMENT CENSURED. SCENE IN THE POLICE COURT. The unfortunate half-dozen old men who were discharged from the Lunatic Asylum yesterday, and left at the doors of the Charitable Aid offices in High-street, were accommodated for the night by the police in the lock-up. They were not treated as prisoners, but everything possible was done for their comfort that could be done in such quarters, several members of the Charitable Aid Board taking a lively interest in their temporary welfare. The Chairman of the Board declined to recognise any responsibility in the matter until it could be discussed by a meeting of the Board. A special meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held at 10 a.m. to-day to consider their position in relation to the difficulty. There were present the Chairman (Mr C. Atkin) and Messrs Mays, Lennox, Swales, jKidd, and Dignan. The following letter from Dr, MacGregor, Inspector of Asylums, was read by the Secretary. DR. MacGREGOR'S REQUEST. Inspector's Office, Wellington, April 25th, IS9O. Sir, — As I pointed out to you at my visit, in January last, the Auckland Asylum is getting overcrowded with merely old and helpless persons, who ought to be in a refuge, to the great saving of the taxpayers' money. I These people were of necessity admitted to /the Asylum under protest, simply because no suitable provision had been made for their safe keeping and support. They are beyond the reach of any medical treatment, and their remaining in the Asylum involves a needless waste of public " money. The male side of the Asylum is in such a state from overcrowding, that I do not see how we can get over the winter without great hardships and suffering. No further additions to the Asylum are desirable. A new Asylum must be provided soon, but at present it is impossible to get the money. In these circumstances I venture to appeal for relief to your Board. I am confident that they will not allow the mere distinction between local and general taxes to influence their decision. Will the Board admit forty of these chronic cases into the Costley Refuge ?—I have, etc., D. MacGbegor. The Chairman Auckland and Charitable Aid Board. AN ANIMATED DISCUSSION. The Chairman said he would not allow these old men from the Lunatic Asylum to be dumped into the Refuge until the matter had been discussed by the Board, and in the meantime he had a strong objection to receiving these men on any ground whatever. It seemed to him most unreasonable that the Asylum, when it had its collecting grounds over Buch a large portion of the North Island, should expect one Charitable Aid Board to take the whole of the surplus inmates and provide for them, for that was what Dr. MacGregor was asking the Board to do. Another question for the Board to consider was whether the Asylum was a fib place from which surplus inmates ehould properly come to the Charitable Aid Board. He had done what he could for these people as a private citizen, but declined to recognise any liability on the pare of the Board in reference to them. DEFENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT. Mr O. Mays said he had no hesitation in moving In the matter. He thought they could deal with the method which had been adopted of getting ricr of these men by the Asylum authorities by-and-by, but in the meantime, the men should be taken to the Refuges. Dr. MacGregor was quite right in principle. If these men had no business in the Asylum, the honest and straight thing was to turn them out. If they were not fib subjects for the Asylum, and for remedial treatment, if they could be made no better there, but must simply linger on till death ends all, the proper thing was to have them put in the Refuge. He moved " That these old men be admitted to the Refuge at once." THE GOVERNMENT CENSURED. Mr «L, M. Lennox objected to Dr. MacGregor attempting to ride rough-shod over the Board. If these six men were not insane, they never should have been in the Asylum, but if there was any tinge of insanity about them he objected to their being sent to the Refuge to mingle with sane old men and women. Hβ suggested that the resolution should take this form, •' That the Board declines to accept the responsibility in regard to these men who have been turned out of the Asylum until the Asylum authorities submit to the Board such application for admiesion to the Refuge in order that the individuals in question may be examined by medical men regarding their mental fitness to associate with the inmates of our Refuge." Mr Swales seconded this resolution. He certainly condemned the action of Dr. MacGregpr. Mr A. Kidd proposed "That the action of the Government in attempting without notice, to thrust upon this Board a number of chronic cases from the Lunatic Asylum is uncourteoue, that the Government deserve censure for the heartless way in which this has been done, and that, under the circumstances, the Board decline to accept any responsibility." The manner in which the Asylum authorities had thrust these people on them was the reason why,they should take no notice. It was the duty of the Government to provide accommodation for these incurable cases themselves. Mr Lennox withdrew his motion in favour of that proposed by Mr Kidd, and the Chairman seconded the latter. The motion proposed by Mr Mays was not seconded, and the other resolution wae carried, Mr Mays alone protesting. MR .EWINGTON APPEALED TO. After the meeting of the Board had been concluded, the Secretary wrote to Mr F. G. Ewington, informing him of the decision arrived at, and requesting him, as official visitor to the Asylum, to take steps for the care of the discharged patients. In reply, Mr Ewington texpressed surprise at the request, which he described as being in keeping with the wjliole of these high-handed proceedings. He had not been consulted in the matter, and did not know that one or two of the men were not still lunatics within the meaning of the law. He regretted much that he could do nothing whatever to relieve them, except by joining with fellow citizens to give a trifle put of his own pocket for maintenance of the men, as the Government would not refund one penny of any money he might expend in the matter. * A PITIFUL SIGHT. THE MEN IN COURT. When the ordinary business was conj eluded at the Police Court this morning the six unfortunate paupers were led into Court by the police. Then&mesof the unfortunateoutcaetsare:

Wrn Bird (62), J ames Keating (43), Richard i;™' onds (55), Samuel ■ Taylor (69), WilliJft, n Wells (81) » aQd Hanaiora Tuakana <6 Tn B ' or Broham said that he wished for J D ' P D i ion of °P inioD from the Ben t h as ?o P JL b fa e should do with the finforfcunate men who had been disc Wed fmk the Avondale Lunatic Asvlf m The men were /" fferin e fr ? m Asylum. xae t sub j ecfcs for !£ l£S' before been discharted Ont ofVe men w*<.s 81 years of charged. . Une « wactibioner. age, and had a lou ir ai i f y, nfp i, of He was told this was tb.e firat of a batch of f °Capbain Thomas i*id Mr J. <**g»™ on the Bench. The.T ü ßU^f Resident Magistrate ehould be dommuni C l?r Sroham said that * the matter rested between the General Go vernmenb eftdtbe Charitable Aid Board. At all evenW the police station was not a .to pl*» for the mMr Gordon said that it * W cvi I c ? 6nf 'J ll f* these men ought not to be allowed to ,be on the etreet. Of course the General Government had supreme Power but it was a- great P xby , Vj* had taken the step that had been taken. Still, he thought , that the Charitable Aid Board was fcwand as a matter of common humanity to itake care of these men until some arrangement was made. It was cruel indeed that any Government or body should act in sucn a m At"this stage Mr H. 0. Wardell, R.M., took his seat on the bench. ~U P °" the position of affairs beintf Mr Wardell asked, "Iβ there no beoevolent institution besides the Charitable Mr Broham said he believed ibab the Board now attended to all such matters. Mr O. Mays was present in Court, at " was asked what the Charitable Aid put - posed doing in the matter. He said that the Board had just refused—with the exception of himself—to admit theee men to the Refuge. HOME FOR INCURABLES WANTED. Mr Wardell said that this must have the effect of bringing before the public that a home for incurables was urgently needed. In the past che Asylum, unfortunately, had been made a receptacle for a great many similar cases. It was a fact within his own knowledge that the male portion of the Asylum was so crowded that the attendants had been compelled to make a shakedow-n in the corridors for some of the patients. He hoped that tbo members of fene Charitable Aid Board would the matter, and find it consistent witb\ their duty to provide for these m«n. He could only personally and from the Bench express his gratitude to any charitable body that would care for the men for the present. THE GOOD SAMARITAN. Sergeant-Major Turton, of the Salva tion Army—who always attends the Court — stepped forward and said " I will take them for a few I shall be very glad to assist you any way." Mr Wardell thanked the officer, .and the old men were driven by the police in an express to the Prison Gate Home. feer-geant-Major Turton remarked to one of ouretaff, "We can take-care of them all right, though, unfortunately, we are rather short of blankets for such a number." j