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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9012, 18 October 1892, Page 4

The financial position of the Charitable Aid Board is not so satisfactory as could be wished. The expenditure for the last half-year has been £10,318 7s 7d, while the receipts were £7244 5s 2d. The liabilities for the forthcoming halfyear are estimated at £12,042 4s lid, the assets at date were £9830 10s, leaving a deficiency of .£224.1. Mr. Bollard attributed, the deficiency to bad financing in the past, and thought there was no occasion to take a gloomy view of the future. The chairman, in answer, said that he thought the cheap fares in prospect between Australia and New Zealand would bring a number of persons who would soon become chargable on the rates. There is an imperative necessity to keep the charges of charitable aid and of the hospital as low as possible, because the local bodies from which the money has to be obtained have a clamant need for all they can get from the settlers. But we are rather disposed to sympathise with Mr. Bollard. We have no doubt that within the next few months there will be a considerable influx of people from Melbourne and Sydney, but we do not think the Charitable Aid Board will be much affected thereby. It is true that we are not clamouring far population to execute extensive public works. But there is a large amount of new land being taken up, and this will absorb a considerable amount of labour, although that labour will not be highly paid. And, although the majority of our immigrants from Australia will be poor

men, there will always bs a proportion, with- sufficient to give them a" start, adding to the capital of the community. It seems that some of the local bodies do not pay up thrir contributions, which they ought to do in ;Cairness to the others. : , .- "