SUM OF £25 GRANTED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 9 September 1937, Page 6

SUM OF £25 GRANTED

HARBOUR BOARD’S CONTRIBUTION

TO CRIPPLED CHILDREN'S FUND At yesterday afternoon’s meeting of the Nelson Harbour Board it was resolved to grant the sum of £25 to the Crippled Children’s Fund, a similar amount to that recently given by the City Council and by the Waimea County Council. The chairman, Mr A. Gould, moved the motion. In doing so he expressed the opinion that in the future the burden of contributing to this very worthy object should be spread, and possibly a rate should be struck by those in charge to cover the matter.

Mr W. C. Harley opposed tlie motion, reiterating his previously-expressed opinion that it was not the function of the Harbour Board, however worthy the object, to distribute the ratepayers’ money in contributing t'6 such funds. The burden of the social services of the country was steadily creeping up from the legitimate channels, and the speaker did not consider that the Board was entitled to consider itself a legitimate channel in this respect. There was no more reason why they should contribute to this fund, which of course was undeniably extremely deserving, than for instance, to the Blind Institute, or the lepers on Malogai. The bulk of the ratepayers were covered by the contributions given by the City Council and the Waimea County Council, and for the Harbour Board to also contribute meant overlapping. It was a wrong principle. Mr C. T. Price agreed; and Mr H. W. Kelly also voted against the motion, which was carried by'six votes to three.