CHARITABLE AID BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13983, 16 August 1907, Page 2

CHARITABLE AID BOARD

The ordinary monthly meeting of tho Charitable Aid Board was lield in the board's offices, Princes street, yesterday aftornoon. Present—the Chairman (Mr W. Wills), Messrs W. Snow, J. 'Mill, J. Hazlett, M. Stevenson, P. Miller, J. Moslcy, F. Anderson, J. Clarke, T. Mackenzie, M.H.R., W. 15. S. Knight, and R. Johngtonc. An apology was received from Mr Wilkinson. CORRESPONDENCE, Tho Univorsily Council wrote stating that at Iho last meeting of tho council it had Ijcen decided to charge a £1; 16 fee to each medical ; studcnt attending tho Maternity Ilcspittil, which would bo "the .property of tho council, and it' was also dccided that a 6um'of,'£2s be set aside annually towards the cost of materials,' etc., used by the students at the Maternity Hospital, and that this be given as a voluntary contribution to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board in aid of the Maternity Hospital.— Received., A memorandum from the Education Department was received in reply to a letter from the board of 21st .Tune last, bringing under the notice of'the department the opinions of the board that the maintenance of Industrial School boys over tho age of 14 years should not be ohargod to the board. 'Tho department roplied that as far as it was practicable children boarded out from Industrial Schools were placed at service when they reached the .age of U years, . and thus Charitable Aid Boards "were relieved of the maintenance charge. There were, however, cases where if soino children were placed at service they wou d bo deprived of the training they would otherwise receive at the sohools, and this would interfere with their reasonable prospects of doing well. In oases where there was mental or physical deficiencies the matter was difficult to deal with. In normal cases payment was not ofton required from boards aftor the children wero 15 years of age, but in the cases of children mentally' or physically deficient they are often after that age ■maintained by the State, and children of whom tho department thought that further training might fit them for a good position in life were Mso kept at the State oxpense until such timo as they were fitted for a position. Tho chargo against the boards was never more than 7s 6d per week, and the Government in many oases had to pay much higher rates for infants in special eases.—Mr Mackenzie said that in reoeiving the letter it was only fair to state that, whilst in general tho request was reasonable, the carrying it out was not observed. He considered that if the State maintained boys until they were H years of age tho taxpayer had done' his duty. At'the age of 14 a. boy

had received sufficient training to.fit him to work lip,.higher in life. He did not think tlio taxpayer should pay for a boy ovor that, ago.—Tho Chairman stated that tlio sum of £154 15s lOd, received from parents, had been credited by the department to the board, and }hat this amount had been deducted from a claim by tho department for £827 15s lOd for maintenance of indigent- children at, Industrial Schools.

THK MANIOTOTO APPLICATION* FOR SEPARATION.

Mr P. Miller said tliat wliilo in Wellington ho interviewed the Minister in charge of tho department, and also the Inepootor-goneral, on the matter of tlio Maniototo application to bo declared a separate district for charitable aid purposes. Ho was informed that thero was not the slightest- chance of Maniototo boing creatcd a separate district; the policy of tho Government was to increase rather than decrease tho area ot such ilistriots. The bill had not reached tho Minister when lie (Mr Slillerr) was in Wellington, and members he had spoken to on tho subject were all against, cutting up districts into parochial areas.—The board expressed its approval of Mr Miller's action in tho mattor, CONTRIBUTIONS TO PRIVATE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS. Tho Finance Committee reported that tho mattor of tho application for aid lo St, Mary's Orphanage hkl boon referred to the solicitors for an opinion, and regretted to state that tho board had no powor to grant tho request, Tlio opinion given was as follows:— Wo have considered the letter from his Lordship the Bishop of Dunedin of the 11th instant, in which ho asks that the board should grant sotno assistance to the St. Mary's Orphanage. This orphanage is not an Industrial School within the moaning of ' The Industrial Schools Act, 1882," and the Government has refused to approvo of it as a school, so that the board cannot doal with it on ; thesame footing as it does with tho St. Yincent do Paul's Orphanage, which is a duly gazettod sohool Another couiae open to the board is to take control of tho institution under section 81, which reads as follows: — "Tho hoard may from time to time establish in any part of the district now hospitals or branch hospitals, or other charitable institutions, where they may deem them required." If, however, the board acted under this seotion and recognised St Mary's as an institution, the entire control and management would be vested in the bowd, Mid it would, also be liable for the expenses of maintaining tho institution. If the board adopted this course and the present supporters of the orphanage refused to continue their donations, the board could protect itself by closing the institution at any time. Probably this courso would not give satisfaction, either to the board or to his Lordship the Bishop. The only . other question to be considered is whether the board has power to apply any of its fnnds towards the assistance of St. Mary's, as coining within the general soopo of its control of charitable aid.. Although the maintenance of orphans undoubtedly comes within the scope of charitable aid,' we do not think it was tho scheme of the act that the board should be able to apply the publio funds in the assistance of an orphenago controlled entirely by a particular denomination unless it came w'ithin " The Industrial Schools Act, 1882." The question is open to so mnch doubt that we must advise the board not to comply with his Lordship the Bishop's reguost.—Yours faithfully,

Holmes and White. . Mosley thought the board was in justice bound to assist the orphanage, and ho suggested that the Bishop should bo reeomuiendod t<) put the orphanage under the Industrial Schools Act. They contributed to the upkeep of ono denominational institution at South Duncdin and anotjior at Wellington. The orphanage was'dealing with fatherless and motherless children who wero deetitute, and if euoh an inatitution did not- assist them the board would have to do so.—Mr Miller said there was a danger of having many small indusschools of the character under disoussion. .The .board had no authority to decide what institutions should be supported: all it could do was when the. Government decided to pay and lookpleasant. He agreed with Mr Mosley that there was a liardship that some should receive assistance and that others equally deserving should.be treated differently.Mr Anderson said the Presbyterian body had also opened an orphanage, and they also were entitled to assistance. There wore 12 or 14 children' in the institution — Tho Chairman: It is an anomaly that one body should bo assisted and that others should be refused.—Mr Hazlett spoke in high terms of the manner in.' which St. Mary's Orphanage ' was 'oonfeia.-rMr Stevenson approved of Mir Mosley's 'suggestion thfit Bishop Ncvill should be informed of the reasons why tho board could not assist the Angiioan orphanage, and on the motion of Mr Thomas Mackenzie, it was rosolved— 1 " That tho hoard recommond the Govornmont to place" St. Mary's Orphanage on the list of schools receiving grants from the board, and that this recommendation shall also apply to all denominational schools doing work of an equally benevolent character." The last clause bf the motion was inserted on the suggestion of Mr _ Anderson, who claimed equal consideration for the Preebyterian Orphanage.

THE BOARD AND THE BBXEYOIjRKT TRUSTEES.

Messrs Holmes and White, the board's solicitors, wroto stating thai they had already advised that the ' Benevolent Trustees had full power to administer charitable aid (including outdoor relief) within the district known as ' The United District of Central Otago, Otago, and Tuapeka," but such, administration was subject to. the general control of tho Distriot Board conferred on that -body by section. 13 of ''Tho Hospital and Charitable Institutions, Act, 1885." This did not mean that the District Board had power to interfere in tho actual management of the Benevolont Institution, which was vested in the trustees, but it, had. power to determine the boundaries of tho distriot within whioh the Benevolent Trustees shall administer charitable aid. Thai this was the intention of the Legislature seemed clear, and the solicitors could nqt accept the view that when an existing institution such as tho Benevolent Institution became incorporated as'a separate institution the functions of the District Board were transferred to and became vested in the trustees of such institution'. After citing instances of the incorrectness of the view taken, the solicitors 6tated that by section 31 of tho act tho District Board was empowered to establish new' charitable institutions where it might deem them to bo required, and the District Board would have full control of such institutions. After summarising tho relative position; of the; board and the trustees, the solicitors suggested that thomatter should be brought before the Supreme Court as 600n as possible- to secure a definite deoision.'

Mr Miller thought tho matter should lie referred to the Government, which should decide wliethor the board or tho trustees were to distribute charitable aid. It meant expense to take the matter to tho Supreme Court.—Mr Steveneon thought a Supreme Court decision would settle the matter once for all, and suggested that it should bo left with the Finance Committee to deal

with, unci that the solicitors' advice to state a case should be followed.—'The Chairman: We cannot go on for. over oil tho principle of "Pull devil, pull baker."—Mr Clarke: Tho country bodies already granted control by tho board can be allowed to carry on meanwhile. No harm could arise from that. —The Chairman: We cannot do anything that is illegal.—Mr Miller: Wo could refer tho matter for' a decision to the Solicitor.general or to the Inspector-general. —It was finally decided that tho solicitors be instructed to state a oase. MESIREHS' KXPEKKES.

Mr Johnstone, a member of the board, forwarded an account for £3 13s 2d, expanses in coming from Wellington $nd Lyttelton to meotings of tho board,—Tho Audit Department, dealing with this matter, forwarded a memo, that members attending meetings of the board wero only entitled to receivc fares and not hotel expenses, and instructed that where the latter esponses had been paid tho amount should bo' refunded. Mr Johnstone stated that ho had given the secretary instructions to stop tho amount out of his expenses.—Mr Mill: Tho memorandum, from tho department is tantamount to saying that' a man who lives in the country and attends a meeting of a public body requires nothing to eat, on. the journey: that he must- starve.—Mr Johnstone: We work under the same act in Maniototo, and we always pay legitimate expenses, and they have never been objeoted to.—The Chairman: If Mr Johnstone's claim is recognised, a member coming from Melbourne or from any such oversea port could claim expensps.—Mr Mackenzie: I have come from Wellington. Am I entitled to exponses?—(Laughter).—'The Chairman: The expenses aTc only chargeable as from the moniber's residence to the board meeting.— It was resolved to pay the expenses only as fropi Blackstone Hill, where the member resided. GENERAL. Mr Mill moved, and it was unanimously carried—" That a motion of sympathy bo passed to the chairman (Mr W, Will), condoling with him in the recent sad loss of his wife."—The motion was adopted by the members standing in silence. It was resolved to allow Mr P. Miller £5 5s expenses in connection with his visit to Wellington to oppose the Maniototo Bill

and to secure the loose of a sito for an iofoot.iou.l diseases hospital. Tlio Finance Committee Tccommcnded that accounts amounting to £1+75 18a 8d bo passed for payment The receipts for tho month amounted to £1182 Os 7d, and tho credit balanco at tho bank was stated to be £836 18s 4d. >