THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 1889.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9307, 9 March 1889, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 1889.

At a receut meeting of the Bodney County Council, the chairman formulated an indictment of the management of certain trusts created many years ago for the benefit of destitute children, or in the words of the trust, " for the maintenance of orphan and destitute children of both races of Her Majesty's subjects in these islands." In doing so he recited the action taken twenty years ago by the Auckland Provincial Council, when a committee was appointed to inquire into the administration of these trusts. Their report was not favourable, and the action then recommended by the committee, namely, that these trusts should be put under lay management, and administered more specifically for their original purposes, was not carlied out. J t does not necessarily follow that the report of twenty years ago would bo the report of to-day, or that the modifications in the administration then recommended, have not in that time been made. But the fact that a country district like Kodney, feeling the pinch or the taxation necessitated by keeping tho destitute, has directed its attention to tlie.se trusts, may be accepted as indication that dissatisfaction exists on tho subject, and those administering the trusts should see to it, that in so far as may bo compatible with circumstances, the objects originally intended are being sought. While we sympathise with the Rodney County Council in their desire that the full benefits of these endowments should bo felt by tho classes for which tliev won; meant, we can see difficulties in the way of the particular solution which the chairman recommends. Hβ gives as his opinion that the

reason why the recommendation of the committee of the Provincial Council was not carried out, was the lack of any suitable machinery for administering the trusts in the manner then recommended ; and he suggests that now there is an incorporated body charged by the State with the administration of charitable aid, these trusts should be handed over to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Such a drastic measure is to be regarded as not being within the sphere of practical politics, but without venturing any opinion as to which, if any, of these trusts may or may not be fulfilling their objects, it is palpable that pressure should in some form be brought to bear to compel the fulfilment of the trusts, —not perhaps by divesting the existing trustees of them, but seeing that they do their duty. It is evident from the nature of the distribution of these endowments that there were two features attaching to them—one was their charitable, the other their denominational character. At that time it v/as evidently considered that it was the function of the Church to look after its own poor and destitute and orphans, and in the giving of these endowments there was no interference with that function, but on the contrary it was not only recognised but confirmed, and these lands were aiven with the express object of assisting the churches in question, and so enabling them to perform that function. Now, if the one feature of charitable object has been neglected, it does not follow that the other feature of denominational right should be absolutely nullified ; and even supposing or admitting that the endowments have not been put to the best advantage on the lines intended, the absolute transference of them to another body would be such a departure from the original nature of the endowments as would not be warranted save in default of every other means of attaining the objects intended. In view of this, and further, from considering the difficulties in the way, and the confusion that would be sure to arise from such drastic action being taken, owing to the interests which have grown up in connection with them, we venture to think that effort should be directed rather to compelling the holders of these endowments to fulfil any lack of duty in respect of the poor with which they may be chargeable. From olden times the Church was regarded as charged with the care of the orphan and the destitute, and it is doubtful whether it was not better for humanity, and more kindly to the poor, than our modern and improved system of cold cast-iron charity moulded and worked by bloodless Acts of Parliament. It could not have been more pauperising, and it was probably more humane. At all events, it was the system contemplated in the formation of these endowments, and it is very questionable whether we would be warranted in departing so wholly from the nature of the grants as to seek to secularise them according to our modern system of procedure. That they should be devoted strictly to the objects for which they were given, is a fact that no one will question, and if there is diversion of trust in any case, it should be imperative that, of the destitute children of the particular denomination or denominations, a quota, in proportion to the value of the trust should be saddled on it; but the taking away of a trust, and the giving of it to another, is a serious thing that should be ever done only in the last resort. Trusts should be sacred things, and we should be chary in conveying the impression that they may be diverted at will. We have had recent experience that even a public body like the Charitable Aid Board may come in for censure in respect of the management of a trust, and it is a question whether anything that has taken place in connection with these old endowments has been more marked or blamable than the treatment of Mr. Costley's bequest made for the comfort of the aged and destitute, which, instead of providing them with comforts apart from provision made by law for them, has been used wholly to spare the ratepayers' pockets. Trusts are always in danger, and should be watched with unflagging vigilance; but we have no confidence in saying that their security would be in any way enhanced by being transferred from the administration of one body to that of another. The duty of the public is to insist on the body in possession doing its duty faithfully ; for human nature is constituted generally pretty much on the same lines; and the selfishness of a Church is just as marked in a secular body when it has the opportunity. ■