THE VOLUNTARY SYSTEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1519, 7 October 1868, Page 3

THE VOLUNTARY SYSTEM.

" A plague of opinion I An opinion can be worn on both sides like a leathern jerkin," quoth Thersitesinthe play, 2,000 years ago, and the Southern Cross, it would seem, is of the same opinion now. A month ago and tho voluntary system was to provide amply for the reliof of the sick and destitute, not merely in the present crisis, when the Government aid is not forthcoming, but in all time to comc as a substitute for Government aid altogether. We pointed out the utter folly of relying upon any such system, and were met with a tirade of abuse tor our pains. It was a slander on our follow citizens, insinuated tho Cross, that we should say that there would not be found a sufficient number of persons able and willing to act the part of amateur relieving officers without pay and emolument, and that a system which might work well enough in a sleepy German town would fail if introduced in a thriving, bustling, , go-ahead British colony where no one is in--1 clined to do anything for nothing. "We cannot but think," said our cotemporary, " the writer of such a sentiment ought for once to have dropped his representative, and made tho statement in his indvidual, character." The Cross wore the leathern jerkin with tho voluntary side out on the 15th of last month. Yesterday it turned its jerkin and appears in another character. It says :—

" We do not know that there has ever been a question on which the consent was. expressed with more unanimity than that of the duty of supporting our sick and destitute. Wo hope there has never been any place where the duty has bean more generally neglected."

We are almost inclined to forgive our cotemporary wlieit we find him further on almost, as it were, apologetically confessing his want of judgment.

" We have been indignant that any oneshouldhint that we did not fully recognise the importance of the claim it had upon us. The theory of the thing has been nearly, if not quite, perfect among us. The poor and destitute were our peculiar care, and there was not the smallest chance of our neglecting it. _ Our hands would find their way to our pockets, as if by instinct, the moment the call was mude in any other way than by a collector of poll tax money. The practice, we regret to say, has been different. Instead of this, very few people have subscribed anything worth mentioning to the cause."

Indeed after a little further discussion the Cross abandons it former ground and resolutely determines to wear the jerkin with the voluntary side turned inwards for the future. Private charity and active benevolence, which were to do so much, less than a month ago, are now abandoned as shams.

" For the future (says our contemporary) it will be necessary that some provision »hall bo made. It will not do to leave the matter to the benevolent, because, even if they could, thoy ought not to bear all Ibe burden of what is a duty common to all."

Well, there should be much rejoicing over a reclaimed sinner, and we are very glad to congratulate our cotemporary on his reformation. It is a pity, however, that he had not thought the matter over well at the first, instead of exciting the unsound judgment of the people to the resistance of the sick and destitute tax. In his article of the 15th ult. wo find him. setting out with the followinggelf-evident truism: " The first steps towards right action must bo correct knowledge of the matter in which wo mean to act." We recommend the careful study of this precept to the writer of it. His acting upon its advice would save us much work and. labour. It is no easy task to lead public opinion into right and proper channels, even when thore is no evil counteracting influence at work ; but I when, in addition to the ordinary difficulties of the task, is superadded the combatting of the active teachings of those who are themselves too ignorant to tell which is the right and Which the wrong side of the jerkin they arc about to put on, the task .bocomes an arduous and difficult one indeed.