"CHARITABLE" AID.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17328, 27 November 1919, Page 7

"CHARITABLE" AID.

BOARD IMPOSED UPON. LARGE GRANTS SECURED. UNUSUAL CANTERBURY CASK. [by telegraph—own correspondent.! CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday. A story of how the North Canterbury Hospital Board was imposed upon by a person who, from it and other" sources, obtained charity for a period of five months; which was equal to an Income of £500 a year, was told at to-day's meeting of tho board. The Charitable Aid Committee,' in its report, stated that it desired to call attention to a case whereby relief was obtained by the most barefaced misrepresentation, the worst case of the kind that had occurred in a number of years. Application was made for assistance on June 6 on account of the illness of a man, there being a wife and eight children. Immediate" relief in the form of food and milk was given. On June 19 the food and milk allowance was renewed, and an additional allowance for rent was made for a period of four weeks. This allowance was renewed on lour other occasions, making the assistance continuous to November 13 The answers given to questions on each renewal of the application were that the only means the family had was the grant by the board. The committee was through- | out suspicious, and made special inquiries I It had since transp.red that in May the | man's wife wrote to the union of which I her husband is a member. A collection ; was made, and £5 was handed to her I i rom July 15 to November 17 further sums | were handed to her, totalling £82 10s. i The man. who was in hospital from June | 12 to July 18, was handed a sum of £15 ; to enable him to go away to fullv recover I his health, and clothing of a value of £22 was given for the children. The total received from the union was £122 10s. Besides the above a church organisation gave assistance equal to about £75 in the early stage of the man's illness. The total of the assistance received bv this family from June 6 to November 17 was as follows From the union £122 10s. from the church £75. from the Hospital Board £45 10s: total, £243. Mrs. H. F. Herbert said the man's wife nad admitted to the committee that she I had £15 in the bank. The husband now ! was working, and she thought steps should be taken to recover the amount expended by the board. i The chairman remarked that the board \ was always >"n danger of being "had." It was because of the -proper caution it exer- | cised flint the board was sometimes dej scribed a-s callous. I The matter was referred back to the ' comm ; tfpe. ] Mr. H. B. Rnrensen : And T ho-pe the i committee will be more careful in future.