CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10450, 14 September 1899, Page 2

CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the Charitable Aid Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present— Messrs Board (chairman), J. T. Smith. Dobson. Westenra, Dunlop, Prudhoe, Wallace Feldwick, Manhire, and Mrs Black.

The Chairman referred to the question of the contribution of the Amuri county, and said that it had been arranged to bring a friendly suit to settSe the matter. He directed the attention of the Board to the question of the way in wliioh the Board is required by the present condition of |he law to bear the expense of children committed to industrial schools. A woman arrived here about two years ago from the West Coast, and although her husband and her mother resided there, and she was offered the opportunity of going back a.t the Board's expense, she refused to return, and had since given birth to these children. Owing*'to her ill-treatment of'these-infants-, they had properly been removed from her keeping, and she was now undergoing punishment; but the Board ,was apparently obliged to bear, the cost of the children's -maintenance for many yeara to come. In cases of this kind, he thought that the State as a whole and no district Board in particular, should bear euch an expense, seeing that the Education Department had the entire control 6f. the children, and that the Board hod no voice in the selection of a honp for them, but was simply compelled as the law stood to pay. It was resolved to place the matter of tne Amuri County Council in the hands of the solicitor. Correspondence was read with regard to the question of a family whose condition had been brought under the notice of SubInspector O'Brkm by the Children's Aid Society. It was resolved, after some discussion, that the letter be received. A letter was received from the Southland Board, •>' asking- ; the : co-operation ';. of the Board in getting the Government to repeal the present Aot, and introduce a> hew Act containing provisions for various reforms indicated. It was resolved to co-operate as asked. A-letter was read from Messrs Hannah and Stevens, forwarding a- cheque for £44 ss, from Mra Elizabeth Watson, of England, to be divided amongst the Orphanage, Female Refuge, and Aehburton Home. 'Mr Harper moved—'"That the special tkanks of the Board be recorded on the minutes to Mrs Watson, for her donation, and that the resolution be forwarded to her through her agents." The donation, which year after year'was sent by ithas lady, had been of untold benefit to the inmates of the institution over which he presided, and he hoped to see other wealthy persons following co good an example. j Mr Smith seconded the motion, which was agreed to. ... ■ The Sub-committee in connection with the Twigger Estate reported on matters with regard to" the details of the estate. The Committee was, on the, application of the I Chairman-thereof, discharged. ! Tho Ashburton Home Committee reported the acquisition of a ifew site *or the Home. Mr Harper, in moving the adoption of the report of the Ashburton Home Committee,, said that despite Mrs Neild's remark as to the "ramshackle" buildingi at the Ashburton Home, the men were far more comfortable, now than they had been before. At the same time the Board must begin to think about building on the new site at no distant date. *- -•■*■ '■■■ :*' ' " The report was then adopted. The Institutions Committee reported that the Government had signified the discontinuance of the charge for the uee of the telephone at the Memorial Home, Woolston. The Treasurer reported the receipt of several sums since last meeting. Mr Wallace brought under the notice of the Board the case of an old couple who had come before the Court on a charge of having made a false declaration. He tliautjht that there had been a mistake, not wilful, on the part of the people. But the harshest part of the matter to his mind was the refusal on the part of their Committee to admit the old couple, nearly eijehty years of age, to the Jubilee Home. He moved I —"That the old couple be admitted to the Jubilee Home." Mrs Black seconded • the motion. She did not think that the old couple, having lost the old ago pension, ought to be punished apain by being refused admittance to the Jubilee Home. .. --, The Chairman explained that,'the Committee could not see their.way clear to i?rant the application to fro into the Jubilee Home, but they had put them in the same position as to receiving relief as they were before receiving the old a?e tension. Mr J. T. Smith said' they had to consider the question of introducing a discordant element into the Jubilea Home. The Coair mittea had thought it only wise for the present not to srrantthe application for admission to the Jubilee Home".' The Committee might at a later period consider the question of their admissioa. if there was room, Mr Dunlop moved as ah amendment— "That the matter be referred to the Institutions Committee for their favourable consideration." : Mr Feldwick seconded the amendment. After some discussion, both resolution and amendment were withdrawn. The Board then, adjourned.