THE CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14355, 27 October 1908, Page 2

THE CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Sik,—Your report of the Charitable Aid Board's meeting, which was held on Thursday last, in somewhat incorrect and incomplete. There ■is no mention of tho fact that ill' Clarke moved that the application of ttie Benevolent Trustees for progress payment of £127 and £60, cxponses incurred in partly renovating the incurable wards at the institution, bo held over until after the conference of the four boards, which will be held on December 11, because, he c-akl, he understood that the grant to the trustees of an additional sum of £400 for restoring t-hoso wards carried with it a condition that the trustees would undertake to admit, at the request of the board, incurable consumptives. I moved a?' an amendment that t.ho sums of money asked for be paid to the trustees, aii tho liability had already been incurred. There voted for my amendment MessVs Taploy. Walker, Mill, and myself, and for Mr Clarke's motion, which was carried on tho casting vote of tho chairman, Messrs Stevenson (chairman), Miller, Mosley, ahd Clarke. Tin withholding of these payments is, no doubt, «. lcbulio 'lo the trustees for refusing to admit into tho institution three incurable consumptives from tho Keck and Pillar Sanatorium on tho recommendation of iho board. There is nothing Jo show that tho trustees at any lime made a permanent arrangement with the board lo take in incurable consumptives. Neither did they accept tho minis of money voted for ;ho renovation of the incurable wards subject lo thai condition. As yon are aware, the Benevolent Institution is a separate institution, the management, of which is entirely in tJis hands of the trustees, who are quite within their rights in refusing to admit incurable consumpiives into tho home. At Ihe beginnjwr of tho year tho .trustees, to meet

the wishes of the board, decided to admit, temporarily, two incurable, cases, ami this has cvidontly bocn taken by the board to mean that a.!! similar cases recommended by it would be similarly dealt with. Your readers would really think by your local in last Friday's Times that, the- suggested meeting ot the four boards to be hold in December was alcne for the purpose of discussing the- question of tlio admission of consumptives to tlio institution, whereas the real object of the conference is to discuss the question whether it would not, be advisable to administer charitablo aid and, hospital affairs through tho medium of one beard only.—l am, etc., W. E. S. Knight. Da'nwlin, October 23.