“THE CASTLE ON THE HILL"

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1832, 17 April 1907, Page 61

“THE CASTLE ON THE HILL"

AN OHIRO HOME CRITIC. . SOME FACTS IN REPLY. At a recent meeting of the Charitable Aid Board one of the members (ME Smith) uttered some criticisms upon the Ohiro’Home, referring to it as "the Castle on the Hill/’ and suggesting that there were persons there who ought to be out at work. As & counter-blast td these remarks the secretary of the Bensi volent Institution (Mr A. fl. Truebridge)', who is also master of the Home, presented to the trustees last week some facts and figures of interest, in the fond, of a report. This stated that out of the sixty-three male inmates at present in the Home there are three between the ages of 40 and 44, one of whom is crippled, the second mentally disabled, the third diet abled through sickness. There are three from 45 to 40 years old, of whom one ifl paralysed, one crippled, the third disabled and almost blind. Between the ages of 50 and 54 there are six male inmates, one mentally disabled, four cripu pled, and the sixth suffering from heart disease and injury to the head. Nino are aged from 55 to 59, and of these: onle is mentally disabled, two are crippled', two disabled through sickness, three are of low physique, and one is unfit; fbtf more than odd jobs. Between 60 and 64 years there are thirteen, between 65 and 69 there are eleven, and of the age of 70 and over there are eighteen male; inmates. There are, therefore, only twenty-one out of the 63 men in the Home at present under 60 years of a,get Of the women in the Home the report stated that there is one between 40 and 44, who is totally disabled mentally. Of two between 45 and 49, one :is disabled by sickness, the other mentally. Ona is between 55 and 59 and she does washing. For the rest there are six between the ages of 60 and 64, five between 65 and 69, and nine between 70 and 82. Of & total, therefore, of 24 women in th© Home, 12 are totally unfit for work, two do sewing, two do washing; and five are engaged in cleaning. Mr Gr. London remarked that he wa# very glad the secretary had: furnished this report. He thought it would bet a sufficient answer to the somewhat; adverse criticism that had been levelled at the Home. It seemed to him that some statement of the kind, either from the secretary or chairman, was necessary. The Home was certainly not the place of ease some critics thougnt it was. The secretary was thanked for hie report.