THE OHIRO HOME

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6311, 11 September 1907, Page 6

THE OHIRO HOME

EXTRA WARD PROPOSED. NEED FOR CLASSIFICATION OF INMATES. 1 In a recent report to tho Wellington Benevolent Institution trustees Mr A. i H, Truobridgc, master of the Ohiro Homo and secretary to tho trustees. ; drew attention to tho need for furthci classification of tho flock in his charge, and suggested the building of an extra ward, .this matter was gone into at tho wookly meeting of tho trustees, held yesterday afternoonThe chairman CRov. W. A. Ewans) pointed out that a three-fold classification was required in tho Homo. Firstly, there were the old and infirm poor; secondly, those persons who were not quite incapable of work, and whose past habits made it doubtful if they would behave themselves properly amongst those of the first-mentioned class, so that it was necessary to keep them on probation for a time; and, thirdly, there were the casuals proper, persons who required assistance for only a night or two. A classification on this system was urgently required with proper accommodation to carry it out. As the master would tell the trustees, there were several persons amongst the old and infirm in the Home who should not be allowed to mix with the latter. They already had a casual ward, but they required another for cases intermediate between the casuals and tho infirm people- In this intermediate ward people not yet incapable could obtain food and clothing,* without the indulgences of the older ones, on condition that they did a certain amount of work in return*, and so the deserving and undeserving could be siftod out. Mr Truobndge had sketched the plan of a building for this purpose which tho trustees should be able to erect in the grounds of the homo, but detached from the institution, at a cost of about £7OO. ihis building provided accommodation for both males and females. • In answer to a question*, Mr Tmebridgo explained that his scheme provided that the cooking, etc., for the people in tho extra ward should bo done by persons in the Home. There wore always in the homo inmates able to do this class of work well. Mr xj. Robertson, while neither for nor ag dnst the proposal, said they should pause before deciding. He was afraid such a ward would only attract undesirable persons. For instance, many men came into Wellington from uh© country with cheques for large amounts in their possession, went through all their money in a few days, * became stranded, and had then to be assisted by the trustees, such assistance taking tho form of payment for lodging and meals at the Salvation Army’s shelter in Buckle street. If ■lie ward suggested wore built these men would make their way to it, and the good food and clothing, with the added attraction of tho beautiful view from tho Homo, would make them desire to stay there, and so trouble .vould ensue.

Mr Evans said tho inmates of the now ward would have to do a certain amount of labour in return. .This would keep away the loafers. The real question was one of classification, and he advocated the building of the ward as a “sifter” for the Old People’s Home. He invited Dr Valintine, In-spector-General of Hospitals and Charrtable Institutions, who was in attendance upon the trustees, to give his views on the subject. Dr Valintine remarked that he was perfectly confident that too much money was being spent on charitable aid in the colony. He did not suggest that there was laxity on the part of the trustees, but in several places they ..--ere too lavish. Last week he had visited the Ohiro Home, and had found it very well managed. The doctor quite agreed with the master’s scheme, .with tho exception that it might have provided for hopeless or incurable cases. Roughly . speaking, there were in the Home at the time of hid visit four males and four females who were quite boneless, and about a dozen mentally deficient. There was, however, another asx>eot of tho question, and that was one of site. M ould it not be better to remove the Home, with the exception of the casual ward, into the country, where land would be cheaper and more plentiful, where vegetables etc., could be raised for consumption in the Home, and for sale, and where temptations would be fewer- Of course, the casual ward must be in tho immediate vicinity of the city, thus splitting tho institution into two portions. Still, would it not be better to defer consideration of the scheme then before the trustees until the question of shifting the Home had been investigated. The chairman explained that the shifting of the institution had been considered some time before. It was “hen found that the expense of tufting,‘with tho necessary duplication of staffs, was too great. Besides, the risk of temptation would not be any less. There wore hotels in the country as well as in the town. The classification proposed was urgently needed, and should not bo deferred any longer. He suggested that Mr # Truobndge e roooann endation be split in two. Mr Evans therefore moved that the trustees affirm the desirability of re-cEssi-fication of the inmates of the Ohiro Home, and this was carried. The next motion was that the question of building an extra ward be referred to a committee to bring down definite data, and this also was carihe trustees further decided that the committee consist of all the trustees, and that they report within one month.