CHARITABLE AID CONFERENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 7472, 16 March 1888, Page 4

CHARITABLE AID CONFERENCE.

A meeting of delegates from the benevolent Institution Trustees and the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards was held at the Council Chambers yesterday, when there were present —Messrs Robin (in the chair), Solomon, Carroll, Monson, Fagan, Miller, Green, Snow, Clark, and Begg.

Mr Begg moved—" That the Trustees of the Benevolent Institution and the Hospital Trustees be requested to consider and report whether they can severally undertake the clerical work connected with the assessment of the local bodies which are contributories to their several funds, and that in the event of their agreeing to this course the separate establishments at present maintained by the Board be discontinued as soon as possible, and the duties be undertaken by the officers of the Benevolent Institution and Hospital Trustees." It struck him from his first connection with the Charitable Aid Board that a great deal too much was spent in mere clerical work. He did not wish to disparage Mr Black's abilities. He was a very efficient officer, but he thought that the Board had not enough work to keep a secretary in anything like constant employment. The principal work was getting requisitions from the spending bodies and striking a rate upon these local bodies which would bo sufficient to cover the expense. It occurred to him that the secretary of the Benevolent Institution could do this work. Mr Clark seconded the motion.

Mr Fagan said he was disappointed with what Mr Begg had urged. He thought some new facts would have been brought forward in favor of retrenchment, and held that if there was to be a Charitable Aid Board at all there must be an office, office machinery, and a responsible officer in charge. He understood that an investigation was to take place with regard to the Hospital, the Benevolent Institution, and Female Refuge, in order to see whether any retrenchment could be made in their expenditure. Instead of that it was proposed to make a paltry reduction of Ll5O. He therefore felt compelled to oppose the motion.

Mr Solomon said the Legislature in framing the Act provided for Charitable Aid Board machinery for the purpose of keepinz a check upon the trustees of separate institutions, and he thought it would be a penny wise and pound foolish policy to carry out the system of retrenchment proposed by Mr Begg. Mr Green could see no objection whatever to carrying out the motion, as it simply referred a matter to two bodies for the purpose of giving them an opportunity of considering what they thought was desirable to elFect retrenchment.

Mr Carroll was of opinion that there were too many public bodies, but he thought that they ought to have somothing clearer before them than Mr Begg's motion before they did asvay with the check upon Trustees that existed at present. Mr Miller had no fault to find with the motion at all. There were too many boards and there were too many secretaries ; but the only way the matter could be remedied would be by an amendment of the Act.— (Hear, hear.) He thought the whole of the separate institutions should be done away with, and that there should only be one Charitable Aid Board, who would be directly responsible to the people who supplied them with funds. The Chairman also expressed the opinion that there were too many boards, and in reference to Mr Begg's statement that there was not enough work to keep the Board's secretary in constant employment, he said although there was not a great deal to do the secretary's work was very important, and if there was enough work to keep a man constantly employed they would have to pay him L3OO a year instead of the amount they were paying their secretary. The motion was then put to the meeting and lost.

Mr Miller moved—" That in the opinion of this Board the machinery brought into action by the Hospitals and Charitable Aid Act is too complicated and cumbersome, and that the Act should be simplified by amending it in the direction of abolishing the separate institutions, and only one board to administer the whole ; that a copy of this resolution be sent to all members of the House of Representatives, and that they be asked to support the same." Mr Fag v k moved an amendment to the efl'ect that a committee, consisting of the chairmen of the three boards, be appointed to make the necessary inquiries so as to bring about an amalgamation of offices under the control of the Institution, and report to a full meeting of the Board. Mr Solomon moved as a further amendment, which was carried—"That further consideration of the matter be deferred."