CHARITABLE AID FUNDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1931, Page 6

CHARITABLE AID FUNDS.

The discussion at the recent meeting of tile Taranaki Hospital Board in regard to the disbursement of charitable aid made it clear that tliis phase of the unemployment problem is exceedingly acute. In North Taranaki the hospital authorities consider the allocation made for. charitable aid will be 25 per cent, short of requirements if the present rate of expenditure continues. Nor does there seem any reason to fear that charitable aid is provided with any undue lavishness. The distribution of relief is supervised by a committee of the board, and the members of tlic committee have carefully scrutinised all the applications for relief. The committee does not ■seem to think a serious reduction in the demands can be looked for, and the alternative must be the provision of more funds. If the local authority is to depend upon its own resources alone the only practicable means of preventing the anticipated ' deficiency in funds for the current year will, probably be a bank overdraft. This will riiean that ratepayers, in the hospital district will have to foot the bill when next year's demands arc made. The Government, having announced, as a national policy, that no person in New Zealand need go hungry or lack the bare necessities of living, added to that statement that it was the duty of local hospital and charitable aid boards to prevent any undue hardship arising. With the policy of preventing starvation no one will disagree, but to thrust the burden of financing it upon local authorities is another matter. It is, as the chairman of the Taranaki Hospital Board, Mr. S. Vickers, pointed out, really placing upon ratepayers a burden that is a national one. By dealing with charitable aid on a local basis only, the cost may be made considerably higher to the ratepayers of one district than to those where there is a large urban population. To add to the already heavy burden of local rates in Taranaki needs the greatest possible justification, and it is quite right that united effort should 'be made by local authorities to impress this upon the Government. Though in the long run the public must find whatever funds are necessary, it is essential that the burden be distributed, as fairly as possible, even if this entails- a special allocation from general taxation funds.