Charitable Aid Question.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5568, 4 July 1889, Page 3

Charitable Aid Question.

At the Municipal Council meeting Inst night Cr. Dick .said the matter of the proposal iilti>niUonM in charitable aid should be considered. Tho proposals wero vi?ry radical and afiroted tin-Council in itspowerri. It was usual to send copies of proposed Bills, but this had not been done in this instance. Ho thought a special meeting should bo calkd to consider the Bill. There was no tiino to lose. No doubt copies of tho Bill could be got so that its provisions could be eons'derud. There might be a combined meot-

ing of the Charitable Aid Board and tho Cuui:cil to discuss trio measure.

Cr. Cohen said Cr. Dick had touched ou tho'question ho had risen to speak about. It was necessary that tho Bill should have

tho immediate attention of tho Council. He had a copy of tho Bill, and so far as ho had boon able to look through it, he found it was very necessary, as soon as possible, each Councillor should bo in a position to know the extent of what tho borough would

be liiiblo f.ir if tho Bill passed in its present shape. He could safely say that from ninopenco to a shilling in the pound would be tin , extra rating they would havo to impose on the ratepayers. The whole aim of

the Government had beon to throw the whole of the charitable aid and hospital expenditure on the large tiwns of New Zealand. There had been a largo amount of outcry from the country members

in tho House .'« to tbu great expenditure and trouble and expense they wore put to with tlie travelling public, who were con-

inually claiming- aid from the settlers in

tho outlying dictricts. Tho Bill was framed to relievo the outlying districts at tho expense of the boroughs. There was not a moment to bo- losl in culling a special meeting, , going through th« Act, and advising tho members For Hawko's Bay to flurry out their views if p-.issible. If iillowed to pass

in its present shnpo, it would bo a great hardship on the town. The Mayor said it wax a very important matter indeed, but Cr. Cohtm had rather overstated the iimouut of extra taxation

that would bo placed on tho ratepayers. It would, however, necessitate a large amount of taxation. The bill was objectionable mid

mif-chievous in its tendencies. Ho trusted the Council would enter its strong protest sigwiiist it becoming law. Tho joint, meeting was a good suggestion. The Charitable Aid and Hospital Boards and tho Council were all intimately concerned, and it would be advantageous, and tiavo time, to havo a

oint meeting. It would be convenient to iave the meeting in the day time, so that

country members could attend. He suggested the meeting bo held next Monday. Cr. Neal thought tho Council and the County Councils were the people to discuss

ho Bill. There was no necessity for a joint meeting.

Cr. Web-man considered not manj* members would be able to devote tho Unto on Monday afternoon to a thorough sifting of

tlie Bill. The viows of tho county members of tho Charitable Aid Board might bo

iscertained on Monday, and in tho evening

tho Council might meet. The Mayor thought a committee of the Council might meut the members of tho two Boards.

Cr. Cohen was of opinion a joint committee would bo v mistake, as tho Bill interested the borough inin-h more largely

than it did tho country members, who wero lively to come down to represent the country district*, They should havo a meeting of tho Council, and after the meeting let tho Council's representatives on tho Charitable Aid Board attend that meetuig with the instruotiens they would receive from the Council. 'Ihe Bill favored the country districts, and it was scarcely likely tho country members would come to a thorough amicable understanding at a joint meeting. The Council should adopt its own lino of action. It was a question if more than one or two country members would attend the Charitablo Aid Board or a joint meeting, for they would have to do bo at their own uxpeuso. Cr. Neal moved that tho Council meet on Monday next to consider tho Bill. It was a question for the Counoil, and not the Charitablo Aid Board. Cr. Sidey seconded the motion. Cr. Dick moved that there bo v joint committee. The whole of the administration of charitable aid would be taken out of the hands of tho bodies now in existence, and they became defunct, consequently they would not bo in favor of tho Bill. It was not a conflict between tho Charitable Aid Board and the Council. What they wanted was suggestions from tho Board. Ho wanted to see a joint meeting summoned, so that if county members had any views on the subject, they might be considered. Iv a large question they must not take a paltry view, but a large one, and that waa why he urged the Council to support the amendment. The Mayor : Iho meeting would havo to be in committee. Cr. Dick : Certainly, in committee. Cr. Smith eaid they would only get two members from tho country to attend any meeting of the Charitablo Aid Board. Or. Cohen said there wonld only be two j Councillors at the mooting, because Cr. Dick had forfeited hiu seat. Cr. Welsmau said perhaps that wan why the Government had decided to wipe out such bodies. Tho members might not like to be wiped out, nwl would support tho Council's action. Cr. MoVay was of opinion that the resolutions should bo passed by the contributing bodies, whilo tho Charitable Aid Board whs only an administrative body. In that oifco their position would not bo rtrengihened by having tho resolution* passed by tho Board. Tho Council aud tho County Councils were tho proper bodies to pii.sii Mich resolutions. The information could bo obtained from the Council's representatives on tho Board. The Mayor thought Cr. Neal'ssuggestion was better than Cr. Dick's. Cr. Dick withdrew hi;s amendment and the motion was carried. The special meeting will therefore beheld on Monday evening. The Mayor Haiti ho had four copies of tho Bill.