The Deserving Poor.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 10

The Deserving Poor.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — Through your columns } wish to offer hearty thanks to the many kind friends for assistance in various ways in connection with our City Mission. To my last appeal for Bibles, pure literature, &c, the response was both prompt and liberal. For some time a new difficulty lias been pressing upon me, and I. will be greatly obliged to have help towards its solution. Through many causes, which need not now be discussed, there are in our midst many poor persons who are really deserving of sympathy and help. Notwithstanding out abhorrence of what may be

termed the lvligiocu dodge the writer is aware | of the f»ct that all of us are liable to be imposed ' upon occasionally. But the »g<sd and .infirm, j the weak and weary ones, and the deserving poor must never be punished became of mean tricks by impos'ers. After 23 yeais' residence in Danedin I cheerfully wibaets to the f*cb that the public (even although the c.Uls are increasing) never fail to help where help is really needed. If the ! amounts given for charities, &■? , for the last 20 years were totted up it would astonish most of us. Duned : n, Ota go, and M*oril*nd generally are genc-roui to a degree. • It will be easily understood that, along with many good men and women, wheu going' my rounds I am compelled to see and know something of the aged, the suffering, and tho poor. Bat the kindness of numerous agents and agencies now at work, and because the poor help the poor, I seldom meet with persons who a r e wholly overlooked, or families who know anything of the rigid terrors of the poverty which w« have seen in the Home land. There is, indeed, a (linger in noma cises of persons getting assistance from two or three *ources, whilst other parsons and families are almost forgotten. Often — very often — persons who are quite indigent and deserving are modest and unobtrusive, to their own detriment and loss, whilst others who are not so deserving are unblushingly bold and persistent in urging; their c'aims for assistance. Ido not at present know any cUss of persons ia this community I more needful of kindly sympathy than itruggling, industrious women, who, having lost the breadwinner, seek to bring up respectably their children and keep a rojf over their head*. And (rod knows- there aro very 'many such. Withy indiscriminate giving I have no sympathy whatever. It is radically wrong and' hurtful. Indeed the time may come, in the best interacts of nil cotcsrsed, when it may be needful to adopt some comprehensive, systematic method of dealing with : the'' whole subject. The trend" of public opinion seems to. go in thit direction even now. Tbe word "pauper "is very objection *be, and. purposely I do not ctre to use it either in regn'd to persons who are receiving aid from private sources or from the State. Meanwhile permit me to s*y that I would very much like to be in a position to assist: | urgent and deserving cases, and a large sum oE I money is nob .needed to do so. If any friend or frieDds caro to respond to this appeal I will be grateful, and the donors m*y bs sure that their gifts will be^istributed with prudence and care, and also properly accounted for in the usual way. Conimuaications may be addressed to Heriot row or the Bible Depot, George street. — I am, &3., D. Weight, Dunedio, Dec. 7. Dunedin City Mission.