BENEVOLENT CONTRIBUTORS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 777, 21 January 1887, Page 10

BENEVOLENT CONTRIBUTORS.

The statutory meeting of the contributors to the Benevolent Institution was held in the Council Chambers yesterday week for the purpose of electing three trustees to the institution. There were about a dozen persons present. The Rev Van Staveren was voted to the chair. Mr H. S. Wardell, Mr B. Smith, and Rev Van Staveren were re-elected, no other persons being nominated. Mr A. W. Brown expressed regret that the Chairman (Mr H. S. Wardell) was not present, and that a statement of some sort had not been prepared for the meeting. He thought the public should know something of how the money of the institution had been spent during the past year. A rough statement, prepared by the Secretary was read. It was as follows : “The cost of entire relief during the past twelve months shows an increase of about £350 over that of preceding year. This increase is due to several causes. One of these causes has been the universal depression throughout the Colony, which has thrown numbers of men out of work ; and owing to the railway expenditure going on In this provincial district many men arrived here, some alone, others with their families, in search of work, and became to a greater or lesser extent a charge upon the funds of the institution. A number of passages of persons to where they could get work, and the care of a number of infants, has been a large charge npon the funds, while the suppl” ' rations and rent to distressed families has cost a large amount. During the past few months the board and lodging account has been considerably increased, owing to a number of aged and decrepit men who have_ been travelling for years from district to district and becoming under the Act not chargeable to any particular district, gravitating into the settled centre, the city, when unable to travel and earn their living any longer. A good many men have received short periods of help in addition, and departed from the city. Although there is provision made under the Act for charging persona relieved against the districts they come from, the residential qualification of six months would have been very difficult to prove, in fact, in many cases impossible. At the present time one case, which is considered to be a good one, is in the hands of the solicitors to the Board for action. In other cases Boards in other districts have been written to without any reply being elicited. The increase in population latterly has to be taken into account, also the fact that owing to the central situation of the city it gets the benefit of many stray waifs to take care of, some of them being persons who have arrived by the direct English vessels, and some from Australia and China.” The Rev H. Van Staveren thought there was no necessity for bringing up a full report at the present meeting. The statement just read he considered quite sufficient. A statement prepared by the Treasurer showed that the total voluntary contributions received since the incorporation of the institution was LGI6 10s 7d, and the total expenditure for the same period L 2486 2s Id. Total expenditure in charitable aid for years ended 31st December : —lBBl, L 2809 18s 5d ; 1882, L 2144 Is 7d; 1883, L 2136 3s 2d ; 1884 L 2515 15s ; 1885, L 2622 Is 7d ; 1886, L 2971 8s 7d. A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the meeting.