DISTRIBUTION OF RELIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13896, 7 May 1907, Page 2

DISTRIBUTION OF RELIEF

« ] THE QUESTION 1 OF CONTROL. 1 A roeont noiiro of motion at. a meeting of tho Charitable Aid Board to the effect ; that the board should retain tho control of ] | tho distribution oi charitable, aid resulted i in an invitation to Iho members of tho | Benevolent Trustees-to meet the board in conference. The invitation was accepted, and the conference was hold vesterdav at (ho Town Hell. Mr W. Wills presided, and (hero were also nrcsc-nt Messrs Wilkinson, Johnson. Knight. Stevenson, Anderson, Mill. Mackenzie, Clarke, Arkle, Miller, T. 8. Graham (eccrelarv), .and Dr Batchelor, of the Charitable Aid Board, and Messrs Tanper, Larnach, Talboys. Kempt,home, Gallaway, Clulco (secretary) and Contain East'ner, of the Benevolent Trustees. The Chairman explained the reasons for the conference, v-'oint.ing out that there had been a good deal of complaint by County Councils 011 the administration of outdoor relief. T)r Batolmlor said tho method of distributing charitablc aid differed in Otaco from the system obtaining in other parts of the country. It was the general nrnctice for the Charitable Aid Board to distribute relief itself. Tho country representatives were not in finch with the Benevolent Trustees. If the Benevolont Trustees still continued the distribution of charitable nid I,hev must on overv occasion afford the board -the fullest and freest information on every detail that might he asked. Thev should remember that the renresentalivcs from the eonntrv rnnrc.senled tho rntop, 1 vers, and thev had tho right, to the fullest information on any noint. Ho hoped the board's meetings would I) 1* held oftener in tho future, nnd that, tho business would he more exneditioush' don't with. Mr Arkle «tat«l that 702 persons were at the present time in receipt of outdoor relief. Of these 502 wore country cases nnd 290 belonged to Greater Dunwlin. 'Pliere were 70 Chinese included in flip list frr-n the countrv. Dv.nedin contributed about £2WO. and the countrv. roughly spnakinir. £3000. I) lined in received about £IB7i, nnd the country £3200. As a member of both boards, he failed to see that (bore was any difference lietween thorn. There were 33 centres. If the 32 that were outside Dunedin were desirous of distributing their own charitable aid. it could he done, The bone of contention apn°<ared to be' the supposed advantage held bv the townspeople. Ho would not, however, admit that the people _in tho town en! more in the way of relief than the people in the country. The best thing for the country delegates to do was to give definite eases that they thought were not rereiving justice. Jlv Johnson was of opinion that things should be allowed to remain as at present. ■ until such time as thcro was an alteration in,the act. A resolution in this direction was moved by Mr Johnson and seconded by Mr Mill, but was afterwards withdrawn, tho conference taking tho form of an exchange of views merely. Mr Stevenson snid he was responsible for Hie notice of motion that had been Riven. They must stop the discontent that prevailed iii the country at the present time. Thev should see that the country people were satisfied. As it was at present, the (ountrv had no direct, representation on the Benevolent Trustees. Who should he the better jrnlee of a. case—the local authoritv or the Benevolent Trustees? Tie denied that the Taieri County Council at. least was actuated by any pelty views regarding tho distribution of the relief. Mr Miller said thev were indebted to tho Benevolent Trustees for the amount of work thev had done for years. Tie considered that the distribution of aid should remain with the gentlemen who were at present doing it. He liov.cll that the ivconiino»<l«\iions of local nuthoritms, however, wofild be taken more earnestly than thev' had been in the past. _ Tf this were done it would do away with any more trouble. Mr Clarke complained that, as a board, they were not properly treated by the Benevolent Trustees: there was not always ! the courtesy extended to them that Ihey Mr Mackenzie complained that insufficient information was given by the ! "ill- Knight saiil he favoured the distribution of charitable aid by the Charitab.e Aid Hoard. Mr Talboys (chairman of the Benevolent Trustees) said til"}- were an incorporate body, and Reeled according to the act. The V-rv of Town v. Countrv was absurd. Tf the contributing Ixidics were not satis- - lied with any of the members of the I trustees, then they should nut in someone else at the. annual meeting. Tie paid nmrp rMos in the roniiirv than nnvono ol?p in tho room, ami ho could iissuro ' thorn that thero \v"s nothing i'- tlw r, ' v , or Town v. f l ountry. Tho Honovolont TvusU'os workod on hiwnoss-liko linos. Thoy initfhf err 'n jmlgmont, hit) they • novor orrt'tl llirou'-'h influents". Thoy worn. ■ ooiMi to nav io tho oontriliutin^ i hodir?. who woro onon to aitond tho moot- ' in</- of tho trustor* and soo how tho busii wit? 'lono. 1 Mr Oalliv/nv rlso spoko a* to flio ?onoral i workin? of tho tnisiops and thoir nnxiolv 5 to do what wns rijrfit. Othor huviug jrivon finiilnr ?sMir« ' nncp?, tk» confcM'onco torminatod, no ro'olu- •' iions othor than a comoiimontary ono to • Wil'U for r-rosidinjr hoina; nussod.