MR FISH AND THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10263, 22 January 1895, Page 7

MR FISH AND THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.

TO TUB KDITOIi.

Sin,-^ln his letter published in your paper oE to-ds,y Mr Fish makes certain statements with reference to tins uuiriagecntut of tho Benevolent Institution. As it ia highly undesirable that people tsbould be induced to believe a public inBtitution in improperly conduatod, I shall feel obliged if you will pesmit me to make some explanations. Mr Fieh writes: "Are you, Sir, and the public aware that daring the chairmanship of one gentleman (who held tho position for some years), aud probably before aud after him, the cuifom was—and I believe is now —to allow the chairman to give whatever orders lie pleased for outdoor relief, and that during the period ths gentleman I refer to occupied the chair there was absolutely co check, examination, or superj vision of this expenditure, that the chairman's j book was never seen by anyone except the I auditor, who could; of course certify to the ! ctfri-i-.ctM'Ss of th<3 atnuuub only."

Tnere can be no doubt, of course, that I n the cx-eh&irman to whom the writer alludes. There is no truth whatever in Jgr Fish's atateHif at. The facts aie as folluw :—lt is very neoKosary that, tfhen the chairman is a perion residing in town^nd easily accessible, he should bo i;l tv position to givs temporary aid to a timall amount in urgent cases (the same, iudeed, »s the seoretM'j does during offica. hours), recording, oE course, the particulars of each ca3e in casual order books and occasionally repjrlinjj thorn. I did this for yearp, placing my casunl order book now and then before the t;ust(>Rt>, when it was examined and approved, the tact being recorded on the minutes Encloned you will find a memo, from the secretary to that effect. The amount of these orders is var/ triflipg incletid. I forward herewith for your information the booki referred to (all 1 have used), and shall (eel obliged, if you will examine them carefully. You vi ill find full particulars of every order for relief given, and the reason why it was given, clearly (stated in such cafe. You will see tbst from December 29,1888, to October 15, 1892, a period of within couple of mouths of four yutrs. I is-iaetl 160 c&sual orde^e, considerably less than ooe order jjnr week. You will see that the grcss amount of these- 16Q orders ia £37 9s G;l—under is 6d for each order, —so that during nearly four years I gave orders, in mostly urgent si»H'f, totUe extent of uuder",s per week OJ tht-sft 160 casual orders you will tee thac S3 were i*susd to urgenii destitute cases, 15 to cases reeommi-nded by a clergyman, doctor, or wellkuown citizeu, 10 wer« c.ises vonohed for by one of tue otbec ttunteea, 10 we for aid njeded at onct! by nick people, 11 were for relief in food pending the case coming hefore the tsuei^efl on the followirig Weduesday, * were issued at the ceqaest of the police, 3 at the request of our own inspector, 2 were for patients just discharged from the hcspital, and 6 were for funerals. Yon will ccc thut 87 were orders for food, 45 for coals, 18 >or boot?, 3 for bed «nd breakfast, 1 for iv gqrgical truss, acd 6 for funer&ls. These, Sir, ate the bare facts. Comment does not seem to we to be necss sary.

Referring to Mr Clmhoka's remarks, re oatmeal, &c, Mr Sish writes: "Fancy, Sir, applicants for ' destitute' relief being allowed to order just what they bave a mind to, and no check kept upon it. Why, I am amazed at learning that such a lax system js current."

This is quite incorrect. After careful consideration the trustees decided years ago that persona receiving outdoor relief should only be supplied with certain articles by the contractors, they are: Teu, sugar, rice, salt butter, flour, ontme*l, coffee, treacle, salt, washing soda, soap, candles, matches, bread, and potatoes.

With each order for groceries the recipient receives a printed handbill, showing the goods they are allowed to get and the prices the contractors may charge. I enclose one snph handbill for your information.

Mr Fish writes: " BSr Solomon hae suggested, as it aypasiM, that a month's orders should be carei'ally examined. What ia tho good of that, I should like to koow. la he not aware that the ' Applicants' will ccc what haa appeared in print as well us you and me; and does he not think it extremely likfcly thai the orders for the pest month will contain a great numte of items of oatmeal and potatoes?" Mr J?ish is quite mistaken, Sir, I suggested that the orders of a past month should ba examined, not next month, which examination is no it in progress.

Witn reference to tobacco bsing supplied to the inmates of tb.e institution, fjr KisU "writes: " Are you, Sir, and the public aware that over £200 per annum is expended iv tobacco for the nse of the inmates of tha »3ylum ? 1^ tiere no extravagance htjie ? Sarsly tobacco is so more a necessity of lii'e than alcohol? It ia undoubtedly a luxiary, and people when they are iv destitute civ-cucißtatices, imd compelled unlortviuMeiy to live on public charity, should not be allowed to indulge in luxuries." This tobacco business, Sir, has been carefully considered by the trustees, the majority of Yfb,om have always been in favour of its being allowed. As cb,sirmap I was nevar called upon to vote upon tjie question, but if I had been I have no hesitation ia saying I should hays voted with tlie majority of pay colleagues—lor these reasons: During th» pjist few" yesms I hi»ve visited nearly every irnportaut cbaxit&Ma lustituuion in Australasia, and I cannot call to mind one in which tobacco is aot allowed to ths old men. Why, Sir, at the Newton Asylum, Hobart—a noble and admirably managed institaticn—tobacco ia served oat evan to the famalo inmates.

Walk through our Caversbam Asylum, and you will there see about 150 old men suffering from almost every ailment kuowu to medical science—rheumatism, paralysis, palsy, seaile deoay, &c. These poor old feliows have no future before them but to finish their days in a place whicfr ia a workhouse under another nauia, and at the end a pauper funeral. Their only comfort ia a pipe. Only men who have besn emoksrs themselves cap realise how great a calamity it would ba to these men to ba deprived of their smoke. The tobacco may be stopped, but I doubt it. Pet-sunnily I think it would be an extremely harsh thing to do, and nothing would induce me to vots for it,— I am, &c,

Bunedin, January 21. A. Solomon. [Enclosure.] Memorandum from the Otazo Benevolout Institution. 21st January 1805. I liava looked through the minute books of the institution and find that the chairman's casual order book was laid ou the table and approved on the following date? :—2Uth of June 18S3 : Bth of January and 4th of June 1S90; Ist of April, 3rd of June, 29th July, and 3rd of September 1891; 20th of January and 29th of June 1882—Yours truly, A. Cl.ui.itG, Secretary.

[We have, at Mr Solomon's request, looked through the order uooks handed to us, and find tfeat they bear out the statements made in his letter.—Ed. O. D. T.]