BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION TRUSTEES.

Evening Star, Issue 8715, 6 January 1892, Page 2

BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION TRUSTEES.

, The weekly jheeting of the Benevolent Institution. Trustees was held this afternoon, and wfts attended by Messrs Soloinoa (obairman), Haynes, Galder, Wilson, Gonriey, Isaac,. Green, Swan, and Chisholm.. RELIEF CASES. Mr H. Clark, chairman of the Bruce County Council, waited on the Trustees in regard to some of the case# for relief which .were investigated last week. Mr Clark handed to the meeting the following letter received by the clerk of the County Council from Mr James Smith, on whose estate the recipient or aid had beeh employed “ I have yours of yesterday, and I am surprised and astonished at its contents. If true, the Benevolent Trustees should make S disgorge every penny he has received. I shall have less faith in human nature than previously. William Smith, our head shepherd, who has been very good to them, says he and Mrs Smith will not in future believe anything these great Bible-reading people kay, for S was a great Bible-reading mah. I confess that (if true, and I am afraid it is) I shall feel humiliated in having been so deceived as to get Mr Clark and others to act the good Samaritans to an unworthy man. Please tell Mr Clark that I deeply regret having been the means unwittingly of deceiving him. My sympathies were aroused in 8 ’a behalf, in that, owing to the losses with his brother and son, as reported, he was in very distressed circumstances,”

The Chairman said there was no question Mr Smith bad been deceived in the matter, and he wonld like to ask if the Trustees meant to take any steps to get this money refunded.

No answer was returned to this, and the matter dropped as far as this ease was concerned.

Four other oases were referred to, Mr Clark mentioning that in one case, if they stopped relief, the woman would soon be an inmate of the asylum. Mr Haynes, in another case, pointed ont that the person had LlO cosh in hand, and questioned whether that was a case for the Benevolent In a third case it was decided to allow the relief to continue, Mr Green saying that of course they should not have altered their decision if it had not been for the representations of one they knew, and they knew Mr Clark. He was clearly of opinion that the Institution was the proper place for all single men when they were not able to take care of themselves. The Chairman, in referring to the other cases, suggested that consideration should be deferred till Mr Favell came back, and it was finally decided to defer the matter till Mr Clark had time to write to them. DEATHS. Nathani )I Sanders, 72 years of age, and Alexander Robertson, 47 years of age, died in the Institution during the past week. OUTDOOR BELIEF. The outdoor relief for the past month was reported as follows Total number of cases 418, representing 147 men, 360 women, and 1,336 children, The total cost was Ll4l 10s, as against LH7 5s 6d for the previous month, and the number of oases for previous month was 433. Cases struck off—--16 men, 27 women, and 02 children, MODE OF EDUCATION, Consideration of Mr Hutchison’s suggestion that the children should be sent to one of the public schools was postponed till after the election of the Trustees. ANNUAL REPORT. The following is the annual report;— The total number of persons relieved during the year wan 3 430, an Increase of thirty-three on the previous year. Permanent cases show en increase of about fifty. Casuals are slightly lees. Men. Women. Child’o. Old and past work 74 80 Incapacitated through sickness .. .. 116 134 868 Want ol work „ _ 70 100 418 Widows Deserted wives.. ~ Illegitimate .. .. Husbands in gaol Husbands in lunatic asylums .... Casually relieved .. £8 167 558 818 765 2347 The number of inmates on Ist January, 1891, was 13X men, 36 women, and 56 children. Received into the Institution during the year —l2l men, 50 women, 19 children; total, 190, including twenty-five women admitted to the lying-in ward. Discharged women, and 29 children; total, 183 -leaving on 31st day of December, 1891, 139 meo, 45 women, and 46 children; total, 280. Thirtyseven deaths occur, ed during the year. The expenses of the Institution at Oavorsham amounted to L 3.217 4s 10J. The expenses for maintenance amounted to L 2,996 14s 4<i.

The charges are for coat of food, clothing, fee), hj ose furnishing", salaries of master, matron, servants, end doctor, medicine, funerals, municipal rates, and all working expenses, except secretary’s and inspector’s salarien and office rent. The weekly average was 221, which gives a charge of 6s l£d per head per week. The amount disbursed for outdoor relief was L 7.693 2s sd, an increase of L 1,177 19s 9d on that of previous year. The total amount expended on Institution and outdoor relief shows an increase of L 1,266 Is 4d.

The statement of receipts and expenditure showed that the former stood at LI 1,513 19s 4d (covering a bank overdraft of L 571 Os sd), and the expenditure as follows Outdoor relief, L 7.595 2s 5d ; groceries, etc,, L 1,716 15s 6d ; clothing, L 376 19s ; house furnishings, LlO6 12s 7d; building repairs, eto., L 162 16s Id ; funerals, L 29 10a; medicines, L9B Os 6d ; live stock, Ll2 ; printing, advertising, etc,, L 22 6s 8d ; salaries and wages, L 779 16s; fuel, L 234 13s 2d; insurance, rates, and sundries, L 135 2s; office rent end stationery, LB7 9s 4d; Cargill street property, LI 37 2s 2d; and Scotland street property, Ll9 14s lid. Mr Hatnes pointed out that the expenditure bad increased about LI,SOO over the previous year, and the excess of cases was only thirty-three. He thought there was something there. The Chaieman said the cases this year had been more severe, and had called for larger allowances. This applied not only to the City, but to the whole provincial district.

Mr Haynes pointed out that the difference was L 1,430. The Secretary mentioned that some of the charges were outside the Institution altogether, and the report and balance-sheet were then adopted. The ordinary applications for relief were then taken into consideration.