The Marlborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. FRIDAY,JUNE 12, 1908. CHARITABLE AID.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 138, 12 June 1908, Page 4

The Marlborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. FRIDAY,JUNE 12, 1908. CHARITABLE AID.

A serious state of affairs was disclosed by the. Public Health Minister at the. t opening of the conference upon the Hospitals and Charitable Aid Bill. This-was that in a period of nearly 24 years since the present Act had been in operation the expenditure upon charity had nearly trebled, while tho population had not doubled. This in a country so remarkably prosperous needs explanation, and the explanation is to be found in the fact that expenditure is often too lavish, and is frequently misdirected. This was made abundantly clear, by Miss Kirk's recent report, already commented on in these columns, and her remarks referred to one district alone. No doubt there are others in the Dojninionin the same bad case, and it is time the Health Department took a firm grip of the subject. While there is unfortunately a considerable amount of genuine distress, which it is the % duty of the State to relieve, it is undeniable that there is also a vast amount of imposition, and this must be checked. Mr Fowlds, in the speech referred to, admitted that the advancement of medical and surgical science and the exigencies of nursing had greatly increased the cost of hospital administration, nevertheless' this great increase in the cost gave need for serious reflection. ■» He referred to the fact that prior to the introduction of the present Act voluntary contributions for the charities were about oneninth of their cost, but now they had fallen to one-thirteenth. There is, however, nothing disquieting in this, as it is the natural outcome of the present rating system, which is designed to compel all to contribute. When one-ninth only helped to maintain the hospitals, the other eightninths escaped. Now their contributions are included in those of the twelve-^thirteenths, who pay through the rates. There is a large Government subsidy, which has the effect of minimising the rate, but after all, as the same, people pay it, there does not seem to be any very good reason why the subsidy should not be less, and the deficiency made good by the rates. This would certainly distribute the burden more equitably. Dr. Valin 7 tine informed the conference that the new Hospital Bill,now under consideration, proposed to gradually reduce the subsidies, which proposal he laughingly admitted, would not find a single supporter in the room. However, he i promised to put up a good fight to get the subsidy reduced, but his opposition was not directed against hospital expenditure but against the lavish and unwholesome way in which I; outdoor relief was administered. Re- | ferring to Miss Kirk's report, he re- ; minded his hearers that some of the \ recipients of relief around Wellington j were able to buy bicycles and gold- ? rimmed spectacles at the expense of people who were struggling to pay their rates. A stop would have to be I put to this, and the subsidy for that | particular branch would certainly be [ withdrawn. The State, he said, "had 'to see that no one starved, but there | was no need for gold-rimmed specI tacles and chocolates. Go into our | large institutions, and men would be ) seen enjoying more comforts than ■ they had ever before experienced.

While it was quite right that they should have the ordinary decencies or life, there was a limit to everything. What he would like to see started was a workhouse test; that was absolutely j essential for the able-bodied pauper, and he would also like to see some modification of the Elberfield system." j He admitted that many charitable aid \ authorities had not by any means ; ignored the way in which we were j drifting. It was the greatest of all problems before the conference. "Conscious of their power to make or mar the Bill, they would, he took it, cause a measure to be framed which would not only be a credit to the conference, but be in the best interests to the sick and needy, while at the same time preserving the moral fibre of the people." There is one point to which no reference appeared to have been made either by Dr. Valintine or MrFowlds. This is that with a greater reliance upon rates for the revenue, direct representation upon the Charitable Aid Boards would naturally be demanded. This would be only on a logical outcome of the position. Those who pay the rates should have the Srincipal, voice in their expenditure, iut while otthceding this,, there might arise another danger to be guarded against, namely, that of so directing the charitable distribution as to influence, votes. If safeguards in this direction were not provided, the evil of Ravish, misdirected aid might still continue.