CHARITABLE AID BOARD

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13157, 2 July 1908, Page 3

CHARITABLE AID BOARD

The North Canterbury Charitable Aid Board met yesterday, when there were present—Messrs B. P. Mannire (chairman). G. W. J. Parsons, J. Wolfe, H. Friedlander, C. J. Harper, J. H. Davison, J. England, H. McMillan, Geo. Bedford, Ingram, W. Dunlop, Major Paul, and Mrs Dunkley. Pursuant to notice.. Mr Harper moved that a special home for old age pensioners incapable of taking: care of themselves should be provided by the Board as soon as possible. Mr Harper said that if such were not done, it would be necessary to enlarge the existing institutions, and that would not be desirable in view of tho constituliotral changes about to take place.

The matter was held over until the report of the Tuaran_:i Committee had been discussed.

The Tuarangi Committee, in their report, approved of the design submitted by .Messrs Collins and Harman lor the proposed annexe; but inasmuch a.s the recent conference at Wellington on. the question of amended legislation was almost unanimously of opinion that both Hospital and Charitable Aid work should be under the same controlling body, and the Government was favourable to such amalgamation, it was patent that the Board would soon cease to exist. It seemed, therefore, advisable that the question of erecting the proposed annexe should be postponed until Parliament had finally decided if Hospital and Charitable Aid administration was to _c carried on by one Board.

Mr Parsons urged that the additions proposed at the Home at Woolston should be carried out, whatever might be dor.c at Ashburton.

Mr Friedlander, referring to Mr Harper's notice of motion, said that- at present the pensioners looked upon themselves aa boarders, and considered that they were entitled to better treatment- than the destitute inmates. That was not altogether a desirable state of affairs, but as far as Ashburton was concerned, ho did not think it advisable to go to the expense involved, seeing tlwt after the present year tho whole constitution of the Board might he changed.

The Chairman disapproved of the nropccal to establish a home for pensioners. That was the duty'of tho Go'vernmeut, <uicl he considered that in respect to a large number of cases tho Government should provide houses for tho pensioners instead of giving them the money, which in many cases did the recipient little gocd. Dr. Smart had told him in Wellington that the proper thing to do was to build tlie annexe for the chronic cases.

After further discussion the motion for the adoption of the report was lost. Tho Chairman then suggested that the architect's plans sliou'd be approved of, and that the work should be gone on with. The Institutions Committee reported that visits of inspection had been made to the Memorial Home an_l the orphanage. The Committee had carefully examined the draft plan of tho proposed annexe at Wcolston, which appeared to provide for necessary reouirements.

The report was adopted. On the motion of Mr Parsons, it was decidc-d ito approve of the tlesigns, and to instruct the architects to prepare plans -and epeeifications, and call for tenders. An amendment, proposed by Mr Friedlander, that the Ashburton Home should not be subject to the proposed additions was lost.