OUTDOOR RELIEF.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 222, 12 June 1908, Page 7

OUTDOOR RELIEF.

ALLEGED WASTEFUL EXPENDITURE. : QUESTION OF;COVERNMENT SUDSIDIES. IDLE: PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN, v.. Perhaps tho matter in which tho delegates to tho Hospitals; and Charitablo Aid Conference woro most keenly interested • was t.hii proposal of • tho Government to reduce, tho subsidies, now paid to the boards. ; The subject cam<J up for discussion, yesterday after--nooiii ;.-It proved to bo closely connected with tho administration of: outdoor relief. . ~ Tho .Chairman (Dr. Valintino, Inspector:,Genoral of Hospitals) said ho was sorry that ho was not able to mako the definite state-ment-.that lie had expected to make on tho subsidy question. What he hoped to bo able to effect was an absolute withdrawal of any subsidy, on outdoor relief. He did not see any need for . a reduction of subsidies to hospitals. (Hear, hear.) They were for tho most ■ part well administered, and there was no suggestion of: undue extravagance in that connection. The same could generally bo . said: of ■ tho charitablo *. institutions, except , that in some cases they provided comforts rather in excess of what were really required. He submitted that the persons receiving out-door-relief and tho inmates of institutions should not bo put in>. a : 'nioro: 'comfortable position, than thoso struggling outside, who were practicallyl paying for .tho support of those institutions, and organisations. Ho wished-ho had tho eloquence to denounce adequately the .indiscriminate way in which outdoor relief, was given. . He .was perfectly , cortain that no substantial economy would bo offeoted unless tho Government subsidies iwere.'.withdrawn.' It- was in, ; that direction, that ho would use his utmost efforts as i .long, as ho held his present appointment. ~ Mr.„:A. Bain (Southland Charitable Aid Board) said that ho was not, at all in favour of ouWoor relief, and in his own district it had been reduced by one half in ten years. \lf /• tho Chairman's suggestion. woro adopted/ the recipients would go into the homes. :

..Tho-;Chairman explained, in reply ■to a : ■ .'question, that he did not proposo withdrawal ■ of the subsidies to tho homes. People who • r found they had no alternative but to go in- : to ithos homes, would make a greater effort . to keep themselves. "SAVING THE CHILDREN. , Mr. Bagnall (Auckland) suggested that the . Government should bear the cost of . . maintenance of children committed to indus-. trial schools by tho magistrates. .This would:bo • a set-off .against withdrawal of subsidies/ ■ . . In ,the course; of .iurther discussion, Mr. R. C. Kirk (Wellington) said the Wellington and-Wairarapa Charitable Aid Board was • paying the' Government between threo and • four thousand a • year, for the maintenance ; of,children committed by tho magistrates to different:[.institutions, . without the - Board ■ having,any voico in tho matter! The cost per-child was-7s. 6d. a week; Ho thought that if the Government . could turn these ; i children into good citizens, the community • begrudgeVthe'e it should' ,: bs .borne:.by, the Consolidated Fund.' Ho fully .agreedi withi'tho; .Chairman-that the K utmost'liflcentivo''should---bb provided to induce tho, local, authorities' trf J cu£"clown tho . cijst.- of;, outdoor- relief, ■ and ho emphatically' •; ■ : endorsedl the opinion thAt .tho^position-.-of*! ■ the, recipients- of relief should- bo' less desirable than that of persons who were earning • tfieir . own . livings. ..• * , , ,' ; A-.mumber of? delegates protested against ■ any reduction of tho subsidies/ V ' : Mr..Gallaway and Mr. T. C. Norris (Can-' terbury) supported tho demand for Govern-' , ment . maintenance: ;of!children- committed-to ■. institutions by the magistrates. The .iat-. - ■ tor said . that great injustice had "been dono ... ■to his Board m such cases in the past, and gave an instance in which tho Board"was compelled to support'six ichildreli whoso naronts wore able,;though unwilling to support them.

THE INFECTION OF PAUPERISM. Mr. G.:: Ritchie .(Wariganui) agreed that there had been much abuse: of outdoor relief.; They had been very careful.in 'his . district/ but..they once found that a certain person .in receipt of 'aid could* afford to .■ take front, scats, at the theatre. ; The Chairman said there was nothing moro infectious than, pauperism.'; There were ■ ill . New. Zealand paupers of the third generation. Tho sooner children were removed from ,an-environment* of,pauperism! the bet-' ■ tor, - and ■. ho would work stronglyin that direction. v ', -. AGAINST REDUCTION OF SUBSIDIES. •Aftor further debate, tho Chairman put tho following, motion which had been moved by Mr. liellringer:— . i .. "That tho subsidies from the Government continue aB at present." K ; This was greeted by > a ■ tremendous • roar cf "Ayes." ' There were no "Noes " - A: volley of applauso followed; after which tho, Chairman remarked, with a smilo, "I haven't dono with it yet." INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS. ■ 11 Mr. Norn's moved, and Mr.. Gallaway seconded:— .. ."That if tho subsidios to ■ outdoor re- - lief are reduced, the Government should boar i the whole cost of maintenance of children in industrial schdols." Soveral delegites contended that this would be an encouragement to the Government to Withdraw the subsidies. - : i 'Jlie motion was allowed to lapso. ;It 'was '- resolved, "on the motion of Mr, Bagnall:— '; ■'!'. - V ' .'' ' ''That 1 tho ;magistrate should not have power td commit children to industrial schools' until the board has declined to . 'make provision for them." ' " Ifr was resolved that the principle already : agreed to as to the cost of rfelief to persons coming from one district into another should * bo applied', alfio to the! maintenance of children in institutions. ' . • 'The Conference endorsed a motion by Mr. E.' A." Tapper (Dunedin) asking for increased .powers to bo given to charitable aid'boards to remove children from' injurious surroundings'. • " '■ "V ' Mr. Bain (Southland)' spoke in favour of tho Government undertaking the ', duty of 7 bringing back absconding hilsbands who escape their . liabilities for maintenance by lcav- , ing'the'country. . \ : ". .A motion to this effect was adopted, '■