N.O. BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3970, 2 June 1885, Page 3

N.O. BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.

A meeting of the benevolent society was held in the secretary's office last night, when there were present Mr J. J. Spence (president, in the chair), Archdaaeon Oolemmn, Dr Macgrezor, apd Messrs Falconer, Cunninghame, Milligan, Morris, Brown, Atkinson, and Montague. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Tho visiting committee's report was received, and the relief sheet read over and readjusted. Several aconunts were passed fur payment, and a lor of routine business transacted, after which the chair mnn remarked that there was another matter he would like to refer to. They had seen some leaders in the paper with reference to some work that it was hinted should be started in connection with the society. He did not know what the scheme web or whether it would come within the range of their operations ; but if it was •nything that the society could do it should be taken up by them. The Yen. Archdeacon Coleman's naive had been ynentioned in connection with the scheme, •nd as that gentleman was present he might state what, if anything, could be done by the society by way of funhering the project or extending i's Influence. The Yen. Archdeacon Coleman in reply •aid that he and those who were working with him bad thought it would be better to work quietly ; but as the president had asked him he did not think there would be any harm done in giving a sketch of the plan upon whioh it was proposed they should operate. He then briefly stated what was intended to be done, the main idea being to enabls indigent people to help themselves to live by their own industry, and in that way lessen the drain upon that and similar societies' funds. An industrious family had been provided with • knjtting machine, and be was waiting to Me what the result would be. He had called on Messrs Ross and Glendionin?, who had some forty machines of thai kind out on the time-payment system. That firm supplied the wool to be worked into docks, and deducted so much from the price given for the labor to pay for the machine. The price puid par doaan socks for working; was 4s 6d, and the price of the machine was Ll2, so that in time the people were owners of their own machines. He had been told that an industrious persons could earn from LI to LI 10a per ■reck with these machines, but if they worked for private individuals they conld readily double their earnings. Now, if two or three of these maohines were provided by gentlemen for industrious families then their earnings would place them beyond asking aid from the society, and this was tbe idea he and others had in promulgating the scheme which he had briefly sketched. Dr Maogregor said it wss an Interesting suggestion in a social economist's point of yiew.

Mr Falconer said it was assuredly a good idea, but since he had been connected with the society they had acted in many instances on precisely the same lines. They had provided washing ma* chines, etc., for widows who were desirous of earning money in that way, and if a family said they could earn money if they had a machine of the description mentioned by Archdeacon Coleman, then the society could, after enquiry and consideration, judge whether it would be advisable to accede to that family's request. Ll2, however, was a large sum for the society to expend unless th» parties provided with machines were committed in some way to repay tht society for the out. lay. Dr Mscgregor did not think that the scheme was intended to give relief to the unemployed, and asked if it was proposed ! to take it into the operations of the society. Archdeacon Coleman replied that it would not be advisable just yet. He had merely stated what he knew of the matter at the request of the president ; but it had beep proposed that the scheme shopld be in *ome way connected with the benevolent epoiety, so that they could work together. The prtsident said he had only mentioned the matter to get information for the committee. There was also another matter he had thought about, and that was the formation of a Dorcas society in Oamaru. There were plenty of women about town that they could find work for, and their goods could be sold to relieve themselves and the society. With regard to the men who were unemployed — he did not mtan able bodied men — he said that It might be the meanß of relieving some were they to leave their names with the secretary as desirous of work, and those who needed a man for a few days to do gardening, etc, could leave their names also, and the secretary could direot the applicants to where they could get relieve by workirg for it. The secretary eaid that a like kind of thing bad been instituted a year or two back, and had not met with the result anticipated. Jn reply to Dr Mscgregor, the president stated that it was not intended to raise the question of the society dealing with the unemployed, and there the matter ended.

There was no further business, and the poepting terminated.

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