CHARITABLE AID.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1200, 1 March 1895, Page 32

CHARITABLE AID.

The weekly meeting of the Trustees of the Benevolent Institution took place on Tuesday afternoon. Present—■ Messrs S. Lancaster (in the chair), C. W. Willeston, F. Bradey, R. Mothes, T. W. McKenzie, J. Collins and G. H. Baylis. As there are a large number of people who are in regular receipt of relief whom the new Trustees have never seen it was decided to bring them before the Trustees (so many each month) in order that they may be questioned as to their means and claims for relief. A strong able-bodied man, just arrived from Napier, applied for relief. He was an upholsterer and mattress maker, but during the last 12 months he had only had three months' work. He was now suffering from heart disease and not fit to work. His brother was a solicitor in the South Island, and had formerly practised in Wellington. It was agreed to give him a week in the'Home, and then let him shift for. himself. The next applicant was a grey-haired man, wearing coloured glasses. He had just tramped down from Palmerston with his swag, sleeping out at nights. He said he had served in the Crimea, and during the 36 years he had been in the Colony he was through the Maori wars. He was a master mariner, but had not a friend in the world. He had diligently sought work, but everyone told him he was too old for service. His age was 67. It was agreed to give him 5s and let him make a further effort to help himself. A young woman, deserted by her husband, asked for a passage to Napier, where she had friends and hoped to find work. The request was agreed to. A woman with three children, whose husband is ill, was granted 4s a week and rations for a fortnight. It was decided to grant 5s a week and rations for a fortnight to a man who had two young children and whose wife had left him. A passage to Sydney was granted to an applicant who had seen better days, and who said he would consider the passage money as only a. loan. A woman, with seven children, whose husband was in goal, was allowed rent and rations. A man with a sick wife and two children was allowed rations and rent. At the meeting of the Benevolent Trustees on Tuesday a letter was received from Mr IT. M. Hayward stating that the Queen's Drive was now open for traffic, the slips having been cleared away. There was danger that other slips would occur, and the writer offered to superintend the work of making the road safe, provided the Trustees found the money to pay the men. Mr Hayward offered to provide the necessary tools for the work. A letter of thanks was directed to be sent to Mr Hayward, and it was decided to take no further action in the matter.