CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11946, 15 July 1904, Page 2

CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

' The ordinar* meeting of tha Charitable ' Aid Board was* held Wcdraesday. Pr*«nt— Mcxers B. P. Manhtro (chairman), Harper, , Wolfe, -Harris., Par*or.«, Board. Cooper* . Kadclirle. Mm Wells, and Mrs Black. I The Chairman said that ths replios"received from a largo .majority of the Charitable Aid Hoards throughout New Zealand wt-ro-. distinctly m favour of the Board's proposal that there should be a conference on general subjects relating to the administration of tho poor-laws, and in mest cases the chairmen of the respective •Board-s had been deputed to attend at j Wellington some time this month if such I conference vast to be held. Tlie petition i to Parliament respecting tho Moule Estate • Mas carefully prepared by tlie Board's solicitor. Mr Beaucliamp Lane, and duly endorsed by the Supremo Court, and had since lieen introduced' to the Legislative Council by tho Hon. C C. Bowen. Air ti-eerge Wity, M.H.R.. would take charge of it in the Lower House. A printed copy ,of the Bill was laid on the table. 1 Mr Harper moved—"That the chairman represent the Board at the proposed Conference of Charitable Aid Board representatives, mid that it take place after the Municipal and before the County Conferences." * i Mr Cooper ecconded the motion. '■ Mrs Wells .thought it would be as well to call a special meeting of the Board to draw up subjects to be submitted to the Conference. Mr Board said that as tlie Board was the originator of the Conference, they would be expected to arrange an agenda, paper. But. ho thought it would be a mistake to tie tho hands oT their Chairman. Important questions would have to do discuifcixl. therefore he thought they . should not fetter their delegate. | It was decided that tho duto of tha Co-nferesice bo fixed for July 21st, and it was arranged tlmt the suggestions of the I various Boards should be drafted into an aigenda paper, to bo drawn up on tlie first day of the Conference. It wad reI solved that tho chairman and secretary j mako arrangements for tho meeting of the ! Conference. * Mr Harper moved "That the recommendations of tho special committee be ecnt up to Wellington as representing tho imind of the Board." Mrs Wells seconded the motion pro . forma, but opposed the sending cf tho j suggestions to Wellington till they were I agreed upon by the Board. i Mr Board thought Mr Harper's suggestion to put these recommendations before the Conference was a good one, beI cause questions of general policy were involved. Ho thought that tho Conference would not discuss what might be call'jd local privflojes, but they would deal with general matters affecting the whole of the colony. It was resolved that the recommendations of the special committee should be discusred, Mr Harper withdrawing his resolu- ; tion. j Mrs Black moved that land in the posI sesnion of the Board be utilised with a view :of putting men at gardening, etc., at so i much wages. She thought that the present system was out of date, and tended to pauperise the recipients. The granting of work at a small wage was a proper metliod of dealing with the question. Mr Wolfe seconded the motion. He stated that the Board would perhaps be building an orphanage at an early date, and they could employ these men in the work. It was resolved that the motion as proposed by Mrs Black be added to the suggestion "of tho special committee. Mr Board urged that they should confine themselves to affirming the general principle that a labour test should be applied to applicants for relief. Mr Harper said that the resolution was right in principle. The greatest problem they had to face was what kind of work they could give them. 11 they put these men into the country and gave them j spades, etc., their tool bill would be longer than the result. He had tried to do this in connection with the Ar-hburton Homo, but had failed to get even scullery work. Mr Board mid there was not a large i number of able-bodied unemployed here. i H» : thought they should get the'. Conference to adopt tho principle of the labour testj. leaving tho different Boards to arrange tlie test.. Mr Cooper thought that they could utilise the labour of able-bodied men at their wvcral institutions by giving them ■work at a certain wage. This was not pauperising tlie recipients of cliaritable aid. Mr Harris said that his experience was that men who applied "to the Board would . not work. There was, he was sure, plenty | of work in the country. Mr Parsons thought that they could very easily carry out tlie scheme proposed by 3fra Black if they did not mako a profit out of the work. Tho motion as amended was agreed to. Tho Board then considered the clause— j " That it is desirable in cases where tho record is good navd assistance essential, ! that more adequate relic' should be given; ! the Board, by careful sup •rvision, satisfying ! itself that imch relief is benefitimg tho recipients, aud with regard to the al- ! lowance for rent that no maximum should ,be tlie rule, each caw being dealt with lon its merits." " I Mrs Wells urged that tha Board should, l in cases where it was felt to be necessary, Jbe able to extend the amount of relief, co ! as to encourage recipients who were doing j their best.. Again, money should be given j instead of food in cases where the Board approved. Slw wanted the Board to bo more generous than it had bsm in the future. Mr Radoliffe seconded the adoption of tho clause. Mr Harris moved-—" That a. special meeting of the Board bo held on Monday, at 11 a.m., to discuss the various recommendations of the special committee." Mr Harper s:conded the amendment, which was carried on division. . Mrs Wells asked why the managements of the Female Refuge had been handed over to a body who was nob responsible, to tho public. Mr Board, Chairman of the. Institutions Committee, said that the arrangement with

Sts Saviour s Guild had existed before he cams on the Beard. Perhaps ihe tetter jray would be for Mrs* Wells to aa- for » revision of tlie agreement* The report of the I_*-i-U«t«mis Committee vras given by the Ciiainnan. With reference to ths Lyttelton Orphanage, the Comnlitt*© wished* the direction of the Board on tho subject of utilising the. site for building purposes. If the Board c.greed to this proposal the' ConuniU'e would be prepared to bring up a report at next meeting. He moved, "Tha* the Institutions Committee be given power to take advice as to the cutting up of tb~ Orphanage site for building purposes." Mr Harper seconded the motion, which was agreed to.