A CHARITABLE AID PROBLEM.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13104, 1 May 1908, Page 6

A CHARITABLE AID PROBLEM.

No greater difficulty is experienced by those who hare to administer the,eharitable aid system than that of drawing the line between undue economy and generosity. They hare to distribute not their own, bat the public's money, and) are, therefore, bound to see that it is not wasted; on the other band!, they have ihe> natural desire to help the needy and unfortunate that any humane person must feel. They ha.ro also to deal, in some cases, with these in whom the pride of independence is non-existent, who feel no shame inreceiving charity, though in no' Meed of it, &wd> with otibere who will not work as long as they can induce the State to | maintain them. The Wellington j Charitable Aid Board! has lately had some experience of the -extent to which public charity is mad© use of by those who are beyond wont and, therefore, are not suitable recipients of relief. Tho Board's newlyappointed inspector has been investigating the condition of a number of persons who hare been in receipt of aid, and has discovered several instances in which it is clear that the Board has been imposed upon. The most glaring, perhaps, was that of a family-in the country, which has been receiving 10s a week, although the eldest son is twenty-two, another eon .is married, three , daughters are at work, the house and property of six acres are free from debt, and the family own. three cows.Naturally the Board decided that the weekly grant should cease, and, the members must have ivandSered how many similar cases remained to be brought to light. Probably every district, has a proportion of them, for with the closest-sys-tem of inspection and revision, it is impossible for the officials to keep in close touch with every recipent of charitable aid without importing into their methods a degree of officialism that is repugnant to our ideas. But we believe that the sort of' thing that has just been revealed in Wellington would be impossible, to anything like tthe same degree, in this district. City and suburban cases here are investigated by a woman inspector* and sufficient information is procured from reputable sources about country cases, not only in the first instance but from time to time, to prevent any ex- , ; tensive or long-continued imposition. The Board's officials are often accused, , by those who speak from ignorance or prejudice, of being too sparing in their ; charity and of sacrificing the needy in ' ordov to keep down tie cost of charit- : able aid. Those -who are loudest in 1 their condemnation would, however* be * among the first to complain if the officials permitted the funds to be spent upon the undeserving, as has been the i .case in some instances in Wellington.! \