DISCIPLINE IN CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 45, 22 February 1900, Page 5

DISCIPLINE IN CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.

The action of the Benevolent Trustees a few days ago in refusing admission to the Ohiro Home to an old man named John Hildebrand was again brought under public notice this morning by the appearance in Court of the ex-inmate, charged with vagrancy. *The Magistrate remarked that Hildebrand could not bo said to have no lawful visible means of support when he was in receipt of an old age pension. . Mr. Purvis, master of the Home, explained that defendant had been guilty c«f an act of insubordination in that he left the Home for a week without permission. Mr. Haselden, S.M.— Well, you are bringing about a nic?| state of things, degenerating into a public scandal. lam helpless myself, but the public • won't submit to seeing these old people turninto the gutter. Mr. Purvis stated that the inmates had been in the habit of doing exactly as they pleased, and going out at any time without telling anybody. The! Magistrate — It doesn't strike me as being very serious for an inmate to go away for a week. Mr. Purvis — Without permission. Mr. Haselden, S.M. — They are not prisoners. His Worship added that he knew the difficulties the Master had to contend with in maintaining discipline, but that officer must see, if he looked beyond the walls of his own institution, the danger of leavinc no thine between

these men but prison or starvation. Tho old age pension doubtless gave them a. little feeling of independence — they <felb they were not absolute paupers. Mr. Purvis stated that this man had been in the habit of drinking and haviDg drink conveyed to the Home. The Magistrate concurVed that that could not be tolerated. But ifc should be borne in mmd — " 'Tis good to have a. giant's strength ; 'tis pitiable to use ib." These homes were intended for cases of this sort. Reform could not be brought about in a day or two. Patience as well as determination was needed. If they strived to make a model institution they would find it empty — people would sooner die than be placed under too strict restraint. / Mr. Purvis said the rules and regulations were not unjust or severe, and should be submitted to as war done by the many respectable inmates. The Magistrate remarked that another institution of a lower grade was evidently wanted. It was surely not intended that in these homes the inmates shou?d be prisoners, though, of course, there must be some discipline and reasonable hours of outside freedom allpwed. Asked what he would like to do, Hildebrand said he wanted to go to the Wairarapa. Later the Chairman of the Trustees (Rev. J. K. Elliott) appeared, and in the course of some remarks said that though personally he was inclined to leniency, the Trustees thought > that if they were lenient, this man and others would probably presume "on it. Ultimately defendant was remanded till Saturday, to see if something can be done in the meantime.