POOR LAW RELIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9104, 12 July 1888, Page 5

POOR LAW RELIEF.

DR. MACGREGOR'S REPORT.

REVELATION OF HOSPITAL EXTRAVAGANCE. INCREASING EXPENDITURE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. Dr. McGregor's report has attracted a good deal of attention, and is likely to cause considerable discussion in the House. The total amount paid -on account of hospitals and charitable aid, for the year 1885*86, was £80,184 2s; the heaviest amount for the past 10 years, with the exception of 1883-4 and 1884-5. The Inspector-General, in his report, states :—" That notwithstanding the very serious evils which have accompanied the introduction of a poor law for New Zealand, there was almost everywhere appearing a saving effect; the Charitable Aid Boards, finding themselves face to face with the tax-gatherer, _ were at last beginning to realise the situation, with the best results." Of the Hamilton Hospital (Waikato) the Inspector reports favourably as to the nursing, but states that the building is too small, and steps will have to be taken to enlarge it. Dr. McGregor has a sultry paragraph about New Plymouth hospital. As snowing how the money goes, he says :—"The new hospital is nearly twice as large as there is any occasion for at present, and there is an immense deal of waste space. The greatest extravagance is in the waste of space and waste of money in the bathrooms, closets, and lavatories. The contract price for the new hospital is £5000, of which £3000 was paid by the Government. The chairman of the Board and Mr. P. T. Davis are sureties for the contractor. The son of the former, who is employed in his father's business, is doing the painting, and the latter is doing the plumbing work." Speaking of outdoor relief the report goes on to say, " That in New Zealand the baneful system of outdoor relief is pauperising the people to an extent that is incredible to any except those who know the facts and are able to estimate their significance." The Inspector says:—"l believe the system of outdoor relief as at present conducted to be contrary to first principles in two ways : It violates the first law of nature that' he who will not work neither shall he eat,' which is Nature's provision for mere being or existence; and it does not obey the second law of human society, or on which human society is based, which says ' Love thy neighbour as thyself,' which is Nature's provision for wellbeing or happiness. Society attempts to cheat both God and the devil by giving money out of the taxes, and soothes its conscience by thinking it is providing for the poor ; whereas, in sober fact, it is merely drugging itself and poisoning them once for all. It is not possible to leave the care of our poor to State officials distributing taxes. The charity that is divorced from human sympathy and fellow-feeling both curses him that gives and him that takes. Our outdoor relief system is an attempt to separate cause and effect, and is, therefore, for ever impossible, and must be abolished. Experience also demonstrates what theory indicates regarding outdoor relief. It does not indicate a large amount of suffering requiring relief, but a large amount of laxity on the part of officials, and an amount of willingness indefinitely increasable on the part of able-bodied idlers to be fed at the public cost. It is absurd to call that charity which is not free, voluntary, and sympathetic. All our existing machinery therefore is condemned. It is simply a device by which a general tax is made to relieve us of a duty laid upon us individually, and it is a device foredoomed to failure." As showing what the colony suffers from introducing a low type of immigrants, Dr. Macgregor traces out in a tabular form an account of two families brought out under the immigration system, and gives their asylum history. They cost the country no less a sum than £3817.