THE DISTRIBUTION OF CHARITABLE AID.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13940, 27 June 1907, Page 4

THE DISTRIBUTION OF CHARITABLE AID.

ATTITUDE OF THE BENEVOLENT TRUSTEES.

A deputation from the Charitable Aid Board, consisting of Messrs W. Wills, I. Stevenson, and 11. Graham (secretary), waited upon the Benevolent Trustees yesterday. Mr Wills explained that they wero present as representing the Standing Committee of the board, and had to thank the trustees for the work they had done. By resolution tho board had now undertaken the distribution of charitable aid in tho different districts. The greater number of the counties had undertaken to dietribute their own charitable aid, and tho board had agreed lo this. The deputation had waited upon the trustees to ask them to continue distributing the outdoor relief in the city and suburbs, and in Port Chalmers and West Harbour. The board asked for facilities for obtaining a list up to June of the county councils' applications for relief. It was also anxious to bo supplied with a list of stores for supplying goods, and a schedule of prices, that it. mgiht indicate theso to tho local authorities. There were, further, certain forms and documents which the board would require, and which it would ask the trustees to grant copies of. Mr Talhoys(thc chairman of the trustees) said tho institution had been in existence since 1862. and during tho whole of tho time since then charitable aid had been distributed by tho trustees. The Charitable Aid Board could hardly expect them to take the suggestion that had been made without a certain amount of feeling. They considered themselves a fairly representative body, and ho thought that there were few committees or institutions that would give tho same regard and show the saino interst in tho work that the trustees had done. Therefore it- could bo understood that the trustees felt they had been slighted, not through a unanimous feeling of the contributing todies, but through 'the agcncy of ono or two agitators. For 4 5 years they had done their duty by' town and country, ami it seemod rough on such a body that at the instigation of one or two people tho whole thing should bo upset. Some four men had taken the matter into their own hands, and said that the trustoos were not in touch with the contributing bodies, which was an error. He did not envy tbo Charitable Aid Board taking over a portion of tho distribution, unless, indeed, they wero going to (contrary to the trustees' practice) accept all the suggestions of the contributing bodies, and use no judgment at all. The fow who had started this agitation had had oportunities of joining tho trustees, and if they possessed tho feeling they sought to make people believe they would have come upon the trust. As to the trustees continuing tho distribution of charitable aid in Dunedin and tho suburbs, that matter would' be considered. Personally, ho oonsidered the present movement- a slight upon the trustees, and he thought it would bo preferable to throw the whole thing on tho contributing bodies or let the Charitable Aid Board tako it in hand. On the motion of Mr Gallawav it was resolved that the Charitable Aid Board be requested to furnish particulars of what was required in writing, and that a special meeting bo called to consider the question.