CHARTIABLE AID CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 3263, 21 October 1897, Page 4

CHARTIABLE AID CONFERENCE.

The Charitable Aid Conference was continued yesterday. Mr- J. Bollard, M.H 8., gave notice of motion, “ That charitable aid boards should be elected for three years instead of one year.” INDUSTRIAL FARMS. Mr D. Roche moved, “ That the Government be informed that it is the wish of the Conference that farms and industrial establishments should be formed, and that the Government should assist therein by grants of land.” Already the idea had been taken up in Southland. He suggested that the establishments should be agricultural farms. Applicants for relief could be sent to these farms to work out their indebtedness to the charitable aid board. l)r MacGregor himself had said the system must be a success. Mr Hamilton (Christchurch) seconded the motion.

Mr J. Bollard was of the opinion that the Government should establish these homes. The charitable aid boards, from the funds that they now had available, were not able to do so. He would support the motion if the industrial institutions were placed near the large centres and were supported by the Government. If the applicants were made to do the work they could do best and the proceeds given to their wives and children, the plan would be an excellent one. Mi Bollard instanced the Costley Home in Auckland, which gave a profit of £250 a year. Mr Crowther, although supporting the motion, said that in the scattered districts of the colony it would be difficult to establish these homes. It might, however, be done in the large centres. While the motion was in the right direction, at present it covered too much ground. Mr Carmichael supported the resolution. The difficulty in his opinion was how to make some of their loafers work.

Mr R, Thompson said that unless the Government passed some legislation to deal with the loafer who would do no work the homes would not be effective. The colony was supposed to be prosperous and yet up in his district (North Auckland) they were squandering two-thirds of their road rates on charitable aid.

Mr Q. Brown agreed with the last speaker. The colony must be prosperous or they would not be bled so freely as they were. ‘

Mr T. C. Norris said those people who would not work should he committed to some place where not only they could be made to work but where their persons could be detained. The idea he had promulgated on the previous day was that these people should be committed to some refuge. He thought the Great Barrier Island would be a suitable place to send them to.

Dr MacGregor said that as InspectorGeneral of the colony he had done his best in all the centres of the colony to prevent those large homes being put up on small pieces of land. Notwithstanding that they had still persisted in doing it. What, then,' was the use of all the talk he had heard ?- Local government wanted reform. Mr O'Regan agreed with Dr MacGregor. The areas must be large, but he held that the loafer was the exception, and poor people were only too ready to work. The Chairman said the question was to distinguish between'the pauper and loafer and the deserving poor, and he believed that some resolution on the lines of that proposed by Mr Roche would meet the case. The motion was carried unanimously. AN ASYLUM POE MENTAL DEFICIENTS. Mr Talbot moved that-in the opinion of the Conference there should be a colonial institution for the reception of imbeciles and such other mental deficients as are not fit subjects for lunatic asylums. There were enough of these people in the colony to fill such an institution. Mr O’Regan seconded the motion. Mr Norris said there was an institution already in existence in Lyttelton which might be used for the purpose. It had formerly been used as an orphanage. After discussion the motion was carried. AN INEBRIATES’ HOME. Mr O’Regan, speaking on the question of establishing an inebriates’- home, referred to Mr Joyce’s Bill before the House. It was the intention of the Government to make it a policy measure. He would propose that a resolution should be passed, “ That this Conference partly approves of the founding of an inpbriatos’ home, and urges the Government to make a policy measure of Mr Joyce’s Bill.” It might he said that they were tying themselves to Mr Joyce's Bill, but that was not so. They were only affirming the principles of the Bill.

.Mr Holland, M.H.R. (Auckland), ref erred to the Hagey Institute. This institution had done a great deal of good in Auck* land.

Mr O’Regan’s motion was amended, ** That this Conference partly approves of the founding of an inebriates’ home,” and carried. OVERCROWDING IN CITIES.

Mr O’Regan, referring to the above subject, said that the overcrowding of cities was the cause of a great deal of vice and crime. He would put a heavy tax on town and suburban land. The supply of land was being artificially reduced through the holding of vacant' town lots. The delegates expressed the opinion that the Conference could not deal with the matter, which was one for the municipal authorities, and it was not further discussed. * - DESERTION. The question of the treatment of deserters was gone into, ■■ Mr W. Booth thought the law should,be amended in the direction of further provision for the punishment of these'men after they were brought back. Mr Everet, of Nelson, suggested that there should he some reciprocity between the colonies in bringing back deserters, and some' means devised of punishing deserters in whatever part' of the colony they might he found. He moved that representations to that effect should be made to the Government. Mr Bollard seconded the motion. Mr . Norris proposed an amendment, which was added to the resolution, that the existing law relating to the liability of fathers to keep their illegitimate children be amended. This, with the motion, was carried. HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE.

Mr Bollard moved that the amount received in hospital fees (fees paid by patients) should be subsidised by the Government at the rate of £ for £: , Mr O’Regan, who seconded the motion pro forma, did not agree with it. The Government gave quite enough, and more generosity on behalf of the people at large should be fostered. ■ The motion was put and lost. SUBSTITUTION OP DISTRICT BOARDS POR ■ HOSPITAL TRUSTEES. In • connection with this matter Mr Talbot moved that the trustees of these institutions should be required to furnish to the district board when making a demand for funds a return showing the heads of expenditure and the details. At present the law did not require them to do so, and sheltering themselves behind the Act they evaded furnishing, the returns required. Mr Carmichael seconded the motion.

Mr MoWhirter said the motion did not meet his views. At present the charitable aid boards were compelled to contribute funds without knowing what the funds were for. He moved that all separate institutions, as - defined by the Act, should be abolished. .

A long debate followed. Mr Hall eventually moved a furthei amendment that alterations be made in the Act by giving the, hospital and charitable aid boards some control oyer separate institutions, on thelines that all expenditure must have the sanction of the boards. ' .Mr Carmichael opposed Mr McWhirter’s amendment, and alluded to cases where the result would he unfair. Another discussion took place regarding the meaning of' "separate institutions.” Dr MacGregor explained that any institution which could raise -£IOO could' goto the Charitable Aid Board and, say: “If you approve of our existence get the Colonial Secretary to grant it a concession as a separate institution.” The difficulty arose because people had had to get hospitals in. remote districts. Now there was a cry getting up for separate wards in these small hospitals where rich patients could bo treated at special fees to pay for the upkeep of the.hospital, or, lather, for the- surgeon’s services. There were six applications that ho' knew of at'present before the. Colonial Secretary for'hospitals where no hpspitala_should be. "The wires w_ere pulled, they got " the "hospital," and" then eo. power on. earth "could' make' them-pay.--I , ; ‘ - . 'Mr MoWhirter s amendment was piit'and' carried. , ■' REPRESENTATION BY WOMEN,'’'" " " Mr Roche-proposed that it is desirable that local bodies should be partially represented by women on the'charitable aid boards. ‘ 1 ~ The motion was put, after discussion, and lost. ' j --- ! ' , <}■' > A committee,- consisting of Messrs Talbot,- Norris, Crowther, Bellringer, Roche, Everet; MoWhirter.' and the- mover, was set up in terms of the previous day’s resolution to- consider the question of outdoor relief,-as referred to them, and to report to a subsequent meeting. ‘ . -or