CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7258, 14 March 1889, Page 6

CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

An ordinary meeting of the Charitable Aid Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present— Messrs K. Westenra (chairman), F. Jones, W. Prudhoe, W. Moor, R. Martindale. W. White, H. Crooks, W. Dunlop, J. C. Boys, and W. C. Walker. The Chairman stated that there was a< t much business to be brought before the Board. The Lady Visitors had been consulted as to the inspection of children boarded out, and their reply would be read. Letters from the Medical Officer at Lyttelton would also be read, and the usual reports of the several Committees. The Lady Visitors' letter was a long one, and contained several suggestions. They were quite willing to undertake the visiting of children boarded out, provided the Board authorised their working on the same lines us those contained in the Industrial Schools Act, and they could enlist the services of ladies outside the Com mittee, eight of whom were unable to take up the duties. The ladies visiting would report to the correspondent of the Committee, who would forward thereports to the Board, such reports being probably in a condensed form. The letter elicited some discussion, after which a motion was moved —" That the suggestions be adopted"; and an amendment—" That the letter be referred to the Charitable Aid Committee to teport." The original resolution was carried. Dr. Guthrie wrote as follows:—" On reading the ladies' report upon the Orphanage I notice some inaccuracies which I think your Board should be made aware ot The ladies say: *It appears that the children have their tea at five o'clock, consisting of very thick pieces of bread with a very small quantity of dripping upon it,' &c The fact is the children are treated like rational beings, and get as much drip ping as they want. Some like more, some less; some prefer none at all. They have knives and can make their thick bread thin if they wish, and spread on as much dripping as they care to. Dripping is plentiful in the Orphanage, and costs nothing. The ladies further say : ' They (the. children) have nothing more until 7.30 next morning ** c think the interval too long for young children, especially as many have to be up at six in the morning to do housework. . Those children who do housework have bread and butter and tea or milk before attempting to work. Food is not locked up at the Orphanage, and those children who wish get what they like. Further, children who are up late at night invariably get supper. The choir children get it. This seems a small thing for mc to write about. Yet Ido not write in any spirit of captious criticism. It is simply that you may have correct data to go upon should you intend to give the matter of diet your consideration. The children have tea at five, and go to bed at from 6.80 to 7.30 according to age. If the tea hour were made later, it is too soon before bedtime, and too long from the dinner hour at twelve. My own children have tea at five and breakfast at 8.30, an hour longer fast than the Orphanage children. Yet I do not find they pine. Bat if I found any single child suffering in the least from the diet arrangements I should order special meals, and these the Matron would gladly give. But the best proof that the system is good enough lies in what the ladies themselves say—viz., that the children look well and happy. On the 26th January last I wrote the Orphanage Committee regarding the attendance at church of the children of the Orphanage. This letter has not been acknowledged, and as I know Committee meetings have been held I am at a loss to know the reason. "Will you kindly inform mc whether my letter has been overlooked or whether the Committee consider it unnecessary to reply." On the motion of Messrs White and Walkeb the letter was simply received, and Mr Moor explained that the nonacknowledgment of the letter referred to by the doctor was an oversight. ■■ The Charitable Aid Committee reported:—"As the contracts for supplies will expire on the 31st inst., your Committee has anticipated the Board's wishes with regard to further supplies for one year from Ist April by inviting tenders, to be sent in by an early date; and has deemed it advisable to make an alteration in the scale of rations supplied to out-door recipients by reducing the quantity of meat toßoz per diem and adding 2oz of oatmeajj. The following statistics relate to outdoor relief:—Cases relieved in February, 1889, 475; do February, 1888, 449; do January, 1889, 495. Decrease, as compared with January, 20; increase, ac compared with February last year, 26. Thirty-one cases were assisted in February 'which did not get help in January, but 51 of the January cases did not recur in February." < he report was adopte i. The Orphanage Committee reported— "The number of inmates stands at sixtyfive. One case of diptheria was re ported last week.everypreventive was promptly taken, and no further report has come to hand. The lady visitors reported as follows for the month of February :— * We have visited the Orphanage on two occasions, and have to report that the children appear particularly healthy, happy, and ■well-cared for. They seemed to us to have as much plain, nutritious food as they chose to take. We were pleased to notice that the elder girls had quite a sisterly affection for the little ones, and we particularly observed that they were all being trained to be helpful in domestic matters. We found upon enquiry that the children were now attending church on Sundays. We had an impression after our short visits that the institution was doing a good work for the Orphan children.' xour Committee is not yet prepared with any recommendation on the subject of teaching the Orphanage children.'* The report was adopted. , The report referred to a case of diph theria, upon which Dr. Guthrie's report •was readand it stated that his instructions had been ignored. It appeared from Mr Moor's explanatio that the doctor ordered that the children should be kept from church because of the prevalence of diphtheria; at the end of six months the Committee ordered that the children should go to church again, as they bad been long enough away. This was the matter which the doctor complained was ignored. The Chairman said that when the letter bom the lady visitors was received stating that the children were not going to church the Committee was astounded. The schools in Lyttelton were opened. He saw no reason for keeping the children away, and a resolution was passed that they should go again. - Perhaps after what had occurred the Committee were wrong, but at the time they felt fully convinced that the children had been kept too long from church. Mr Walkkb said that when it was necessary to help children from church it was necessary to keep them from going anywhere. He suggested that Dr. Guthrie should meet and consult the Committee over the matter. The question here ended. The Treasurer reported that the following contributions had come to hand since the last meeting of the Board:—Ashburton county, third instalment, £230 ; Cheviot county, in full, £136 15s 9d; Selwyn county, further instalment, £400; Eyreton Road Boaid, in full, £125 4s od. voluntary contributions to Orphanage fund—Lyttelton Regatta Committee, £3 3s; Druids' Gala Committee, £5; earnings Female refuge, £914s 10d ; and refunds maintenance, various accounts, £30 13s 2dThe debit balance at the Bank, after providing for all cheques drawn to date, is £216 14s 7d. The following contributions from local authorities are still outstanding —Ashburton County (balance), £2610s lOd; Selwyn County (balance), £491 Oβ lid; Akaroa County (balance). 2202 7s 7d; Amuri County (balance), £123 7s 0d ; Ashley County—Oxford Road Board (balance), £5214s 8d; Waipara Road Board (balance), £150: Ashley Road Board, £70 9s 8d; total, The Chairman said that it was proposed to draw up the estimates and submit copies to each member, after which a meeting of the Board would be called to consider them and tenders.

Mr Walkkb reported that the Ashburton Home had been successfully fumiSated,