HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8861, 19 July 1890, Page 4

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE

A VIGOROUS PROTEST.

After the ordinary meeting' of the Roslyn Council, which was held last night, there was a special adjourned meeting for the purpose of receiving the annual balance sheet, which had been duly audited by the Auditor-general.

Cr Wilkinson, in moving that the balance sheet be adopted and signed, said there was one item in the balance sheet to which he should like to refer. They had paid for hospital and charitable aid last year the sum of £247 Is 7d. It would be remembered, perhaps, by councillors, that when the Hospitsl and Charitable Aid Act first came into force, the Roslyn Council took up a very strong and somewhat conspicuous position with regard to it. They decided, in fact, to refuse payment of contributions for hospital and charitable aid purposes, although at that time they were receiving a very largo subsidy from the Government of some £750 a year. As he said at the time, this subsidy was merely a sop—a gilded pill—which was given to the local bodies iv order to get the thin edge of the wedge inserted by which hospital and charitable business could be initiated in tho country and paupers created. The next year after the introduction of the act tho subsidy to the council was reduced to £375, or one half of what it was previously, and now it was down to £187 10s. The council were paying, nevertheless, on ever-increasing sum as contributions to to the maintenance of hospitals and charitable institutions. Whit was to be the future of this question? Nothing but a poor rate. What the council proposed to do at the very time they objected to the payment of their contributions must coma upon thorn of sheer necessity. He maintained it was a standing disgrace to a young country like this that they had to enforce contributions for the maintenance of pauperism. If the subsidy were reduced next year the council would get only £93 or £94 from the Government, and they would havo to pay something like £300 for charitable aid. Where was the balance of the money to come from ? It could only be got by levying a rate, and in order to raise sufficient money to make up the deficiency between the subsidy and the amount required for charitable aid purposes, it would be necessary to levy a rate of |d in the pound on the value of all the rateable property in the borough. And now they were having a new dodge tried upon them by Dr Macgregor, inspector of hospitals land asylums; and this new dodge was to try and foist upon the local bodies the maintenance of imbeciles. That was just another factor in the system, and they would soon have to maintain all the loafers and drunkards and wife deserters; and those who did not know how to do an honest day's work would find their way to the benevolent institutions, and the ratepayers would have to support them. He thought the council eight to do something in the way of protesting against this state of affairs. It was said ihat they should submit to it, because it was the law, bub he was not the man to submit to it if the law was bad. He was strongly of opinion that they should try and get the law altered. As regarded the proposed amendment to the present act, it was actually worse than the first act, inasmuch as it went the length of providing for the building of poor houses, refuges, &o.; and they would soon have the same condition of things existing here as existed in the old country. Before concluding, he should like to say that in his estimation the clerk was deserving of come compliment from tho council for the general satisfaction he gave in making up any financial statement, and performing the other duties of his office.—Applause.) Cr Fablet seconded tho motion, which was carried.

The meeting then terminated.