CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11505, 18 August 1899, Page 3

CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the. Charitable Aid Board, held yesterday afternoon, and attended by Messrs R. Chisholm (chairman), A. C. Best', C. Fisher, C. Haynes, Morgan, P. Miller, and Green. FINANCIAL. The bank book was laid on the table, and the Secretary mentioned that the credit balance stood at £446 Is Id. Mr Begg: That's a most remarkable state of affairs. The Chairman: That arises from the fact that the secretary was instructed by the board at last meeting to send out these circulars (indicating a circular threatening legal proceedings), and Koslyn paid up. Mr Begg: Roslyn always.pays up. The Chairman: We'll hear more about that in a few minutes. The usual subsidies were then granted as follow—Benevolent Institution £650, J'emale Refuge £10. Burnham Industrial School £446, Caversham Industrial School £676 Is 4d. NOTHING FOX NOTHING. The Valuer-general wrote: "lam in receipt of your letter of 21st inst., asking for tho valuations of the various local districts coming under the jurisdiction of the united districts of Central Otago, Tuapelca, and Olago' (Charitable Aid) Board, and in reply have to state that I cannot supply the information required under £20. Will you be so good as to say whether the board is prepared to pay this amount." j Mr. Begg: I should cay the board is not prepared to pay it. j Mr Green did not think it was worth the i money. ' Mr Begg: I think that the department ought to supply this without cost, because the board is a, local body working' practically ] ■under the department, and they are entitled to have a statement of the valuations of local bodies. The Chairman: T'm afraid you will have to leave it until j-ou get into the House. Mr Begg. Mr Bc'gff :.T'iat might bo a Jong time. Mr Haynes pointed out that the board had just received a circular from the Government asking for'cerlain information. He suggested that the secretary should reply that the information would be furnished for so much. Mr Green remarked that that would put the boot on the other foot. The Secretary said thalt he had replied stating that the board could not afford to pay this amount, and that lie would rely on the local bodies for their valuations. nOSLYN's CONTRIBUTIONS. ■ The following letter was received from the clerk of the Roslyn Borough Council:—"l have the honour, by direction of the Roslyn Borough Council, to inform you that the following resolution was passed at a meeting of the council on 21st ult. : ' That this council protests against the remark made by a member of the Charitable Aid Board at a recent meeting that the Roslyn Council were always in arrear with their monthly payments, and would point out that there were no grounds for such a statement, the practice being to pass an amount monthly as soon as tho account was rendered.' As to the request for monthly payments on the basis of last year's levy, the council could not see their way to make such payments in the face of public statements that the Old-age Pensions Bill would .relieve local bodies in a great measure of the heavy demands made for out-door relief, and, further, the council would ask the board why Roslyn in particular was singled out for special remark when there were other boroughs named which appear to take up a similar position."

Mr Fisher asked who was the transgressing member.

The Chairman said he was sorry the member referred to was not nresent.

Mr Fisher: Oh, well, do not name him. The Chairman, continuing, said that probably the best answer to the letter was for him to state exactly how matters stood. The reference in (he letter to the Old-age Pensions Act could not have applied two or three years ago, and the statement was quite justified. Reference to Itoslyn's account in their ledger showed it, and he emoted to show that payments which should have been made in A 'iril in each year worn, in 1896, paid on May 2°, and July 10; iii 18S7. on August 28; in 189S on September 5. and in 1893 on July 27. At this stage Mr Miller entered the room. Members: Ah!

The Chairman thou repeated what he had said before Mv Miller came in, and went on to say in. that as to the reason why Roslyn had been singled or.t. sit last meeting he, along with other members, had referred to several boroughs in arrear. and in going over the book they found Roslyn transgressed considerably. Thero was no other borough paying a similar amount, and no other borough ne.glectod to pay for any suoh length of time I a? , Roslyn.. did. Several boroughs, paid! promptly about April or May, instead of waiting until September. Mr Begg said he was not there to- defend Roslyn oi- any other council, but he could say that every month'for several years back there had been accounts submitted and passed. The Chairman: That is not so, Mr Begg. Mr Begg: Allow me; it is so. The accounts are passed every month, and the cheque signed. During the last few months^he board had no demand mado on it, and no stateincut as to the amount. Now, I understand they have paid an amount which was approximate to the amount that was due. The Chairman dissented. Mr Begg. continuing, said he was not there to defend the Roslyn or any othei borough, but the statement should not have been made. It was a reflection not only on the council, but mi every ratepayer in the borough. Tiie Chairman said that the ledger proved that the statement was correct. Mr Fisher asked what Roslyn owed now. The Secretary said about £50. 'JMr'Bogg said it was not the fault of the councils as the amount had always been passed. ' Mr Miller said it was he who had made the ' .-email: that Roslyii always paid at the point

of the spear, and he repeated it. He was pleased to see that reference to the booke had verified it. They had only to ask their solicitor how many times The Roslyn Council had had to he written to. and if his memory served him right they were once summoned. There was no gainsaying the fact that the Roslyn Council had treated the board with a great want of consideration, and it was unfair to those who did pay up. For some time past the board had been mying interest on overdrafts that would have been unnecessary if the boroughs paid un promptly. The Chairman: The best evidence of that is that after paying the Benevolent Trustees' subsidy there is a credit balance, and it was owing to the fact that the secretary had sent out the circular referred to.

The letter was received

Tlie Hospital Board then met, and was attended by Messrs Chisholm (chairman), Haynes. Morgan, Green, and Miller. The Hospital Trustees' subsidy for £450 was passed. The bank book showed a credit balance of £73 13s 6d.