CHARITABLE AID MATTERS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 29 January 1913, Page 6

CHARITABLE AID MATTERS.

To the Editor Sir, —There has been a great <j ea l said through, your columns against the action of the Charitable Aid Board in connection with reducing the mother and five children to halfnpay. I, for o"ne, fail to see their drift. What are the duties of the Board? Are they not to see that the money is 6pent on the necessaries of life? Some say, how can they live on less than what they have been getting? The question is, are they living on what they have been getting I say no. Her mo'n.thlv account gives ample proof to show that they are noit. It would be utterly impossible for a mother to buy such things if it. we're so. Of course it would be hard for a woman to have to depend upo'n such a small sum as that; and if she was, I can safely say the Board, and everyone else, would be able to see the need to help her. The letters I have read against the action • of, the Board,, to my judgment, are based upon a false footing, because their argument is: the woman and children are depending entirely upon the aid of the Board, and through reducing her pay she will not be able to make both ends meet. Well, now, would it be possible for a woman to buy as she has been doing if their arguments were correct; No. If the wo'man had bought necessaries, that any of us cannot do without, instead of such a lot of flash food, etc., the Board would then no doubt whatever see the greater need to help her. Any person with reasonable judgement would say the way money is spent in this case indicates whether more or less is required.

I am, etc., WATCH DOG. Wakefield, 27th Jan., 1902.