CHARITABLE AID.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 107, 29 January 1908, Page 7

CHARITABLE AID.

THE ADMINISTRATION CRITICISED. SOME INTERESTING FACTS. NEED FOR AN INSPECTOR. ; 'An inquiry into the routine method adopted in tho administration of charitiblo aid—the fund that' the whole of tho country is taxed l to supply—has brought\to light some rather queor practices that have through nso beebme to bo tho accopted thing, but , which must bo held up to question. In. Wellington oity tho administration of charitable aid. 13 loft to tho Bcnovolont Institution, but there' aro no,:such bodies in scattered country districts to attend to the matter, s6 it; is carried out by tho local bodies; who forward vouchors for money expended to tlio Charitablo Aid Board sitting in Wellington, aiid these, after passing tho Board, aro met by cheque. Most of tho local bodies send in their: voUohors pretty regularly, and many of.'.them, attach detailed accounts describing Bsaotly how tho money has boon expended, but a difficulty has been experienced in making.'- some :of tho bodies . follow this very propor coursoi Onjthe Fat of the Land. But therO aro others who readily forward detailed accounts mado out in thd iiames of those in receipt of charitablo did) What is surprising aboilt tho wholo busineSsj viewed hi tho light of what those accounts disfclose, is that there aro evidently people in receipt of charitable aid in tho couatfy Who have for years m&de it a common practlco to go, to tho grocer, and simply Order - what they like when they liko, arid for years their aficOtiiltS have beeii forwarded and-"passed for payment by an indulgent Board of busy business mon. A Dominion representative had a look at some of tho accounts, of those who had been years' on tho Board's list of beneficiaries, and there was the fullrdngo of. what miny hard-working folk' go short/of. The items included cheoso, ooOoaj biscuits, candied jiefll, Spice, raisins, gingor .nuts, bacon, salad oil, flotvr, pickloS, kmfo polish, St.' Jacob's Oil, aftd envelopes, and ,a"' dozen other ( things that Could bo mentioned, somo of which aro surely superfluous for ipeople living; on oharitablo aid. Even if''one allows thSt. the whole of the goods enumerated are necessities of life, it seems difficult,'to imagine why , the Charitablo Aid ,Board; Should readily supply money .for such' articles aS leggings, pick-handles, axe-handles and, hops—yet' such is tho Case. , , '

Board Pays Interest on Mortgage. But this; Board goes further .'..lt, actually, pays the interest on the mortgage on a house in one of its up-country cases, and also the insurance: on the sameall ;for, sweet charity; There .is. one regular client .-.who has been on tno books of the Board for over'eleven years, add his accounts opine in as regular, as the Seasons^.and thero is another old lady, Who Writes regularly that she is ; sorry, but has to ask tho Board for further The Board has never refused her ; bo it said to its credit - , but what business proof has tho, Board that overy case on vita"; books is a genuine one, and what system is adopted to check possible fraud?

An Jttsfitttdr Wanted, v.: vyuii. ! ' '' Board decided that an inspector' was required to lqisk iilta iiertailr eases that como-before the Board .frotii;, time.'to time, ; aftd ; it'was' Considered, at' that t-imo that a lady ' inspector would, bo best-fitted for tho position. Tho country bodies were written to and asked— very , politely—if they would have any obje'ctibii. to Such inspection, attdj naturally they, replied-in tho negative. Since then, howover, no further stop has bien taken, and there is work to bo done. Tho wifo of a: mah who is in employment has a large plot , of land within ton - miles of the city, aiid is in receipt of a remittance from Homo, is oneof tho persons in regular receipt of charitable, aid. It ft so id that tho man recently , put his land into the hands of a.land, agent for disposal. He did not know th.o. land agent was a member of the CharitaSlo Aid Board,'