CHARITABLE AID.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 423, 4 February 1909, Page 9

CHARITABLE AID.

AN AUCKLAND GPIEyANCE. - . . ', (Bt TBLiaRtPII—PUB39 IB8OCUT1ON.) Auckland, February 3. 'A deputation from tho Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board _ waited on the Minister of Justice (Dr. Findlay) to-dav, to protest against the action of the Magistrate in oommitting to an industrial school at tho expense of the board children mho had just 1 arrived in this district from another district. Section 102 of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act provides that the cost ot ' Maintaining at an industrial school any child shall be- borne by the board of the district where the order of oommittal is made. Mr. Kmght (chairman of the board) said that the caso whioh they wore about to put before the Minister was a flagrant one. A destitute family had been sent to Auckland from Balclutha, and Mr. Kettle, S.M.,Jiad , committed tho children to ian industrial school', notwithstanding that an adjournment had been asked for in order that the southern board might be communicated with. The wholo family had been thrown entirely on the chanty of Auckland—the' children in the school, and. the mother in the hospital was not right tha,t destitutes should be seVit here from any place. This family should have been maintained in Balclutha. The cost to Auokland would Jotal over £1000. From the decision of tho magistrate it appeared that there was no provision in tho law to comppl Balclutha to maintain its own poor, and it was felt that, tho Act should be made to contain tho necessary provision. The board's ' officials did not close the doors of chanty against any individual, even if he camo from the south. If they required rehof, tho board relieved them, but why were they requiied by the magistrate to support a family of six from another part of the Dominion? He hoped that the Minister would have tho Act amended. Mr. M'Kay stated that destitute people were drifting to A-uckland. ' Dr. Findlay: Is the burden of your rate heavier than the rate on other ports ? Mr. Garland: I don't thmk it is heavier than in the south. -

Mr. Johns asked for a revision of the Aot bo as to make it mandatory. -At present tho result was to throw destitute people into the large centres irrespective of where their domiciles were. The hardship was a great end ever-recurring ono. •Dr. Findlay replied that the law in regard to charitable aid was a very difficult one to deal with, a difficult one to devise, and a difficult one to improve. The first question i with regard jto residence was one whioh he tho'nght required te bs settled by legislation of some sort. He had not found any definition in tho Act as to what "residenco" meant. An. esaot definition of this might got over th 6 case." It seemed to him that if tnero was a deliberate transference by tho southern boards, as stated by tho chairman, that action •was, to put'it mildly, not fair. However, this destitute class of people was gipsy-liko in , its movements, and the southern boards wight raise tho cry that some other board should bear the burden. -The matter would be brought before tho Government, and, if necessary, legislation would be enacted.