RELIEF OF DISTRESS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19474, 26 April 1933, Page 7

RELIEF OF DISTRESS

COUNTY CONTRIBUTIONS TO CENTRAL SOCIETY. WAIMATE COUNCIL DEFERS DECISION. At a meeting of the Waimate County Council on Monday, Councillor N. A. Rattray, reporting on behalf of the County delegates to the South Canterbury conference of contributing bodies, stated that the Hospital Board had suggested an extra levy from all contributing bodies to the Timaru Central Relief Society, of which Waimate’s portion was set out at £146. This was a contribution which the speaker thought should be resisted in every way possible. It did not seem right that Waimate taxpayers should be asked to make an extra contribution to the Timaru Central Relief Society, when there were so many urgent cases requqiring assistance locally. A threat had been made at the conference that failing payment of the subsidy the Central Relief Society would go out of existence. Councillor Whatman said that it might appear a fine thing to stick out for a principle. He was against a levy, but was at a loss to understand the attitude of Mr G. Dash in making a change of front in the matter. From the statement made by Mr Dash, it would appear that the change might mean a saving to the County, and the speaker would suggest that Mr Dash be invited to the present meeting to place details before members. Councillor Rattray said he wished to point out that there was a larger amount outstanding in the County in hospital rates than was raised by rates in any riding in the County excepting the Waihao riding.

It was agreed to invite Mr Dash to the meeting.

On his arrival, Mr Dash, in placing the matter before the meeting, stated that the fact of the matter was that in Timaru the Central Relief Society relieved the Hospital Board of a great amount of work, both in charitable grants and social relief work generally. The Relief Society required £3OOO, with which to carry on for the year. Mr Dash then gave details (previously published in the “Herald”) of the contribution proposed for each local body, and stated that local bodies outside Timaru were expected to contribute a total of £456. If this £456 were divided in the manner suggested over the whole of the local bodies of South Canterbury, the indications were that it would cost more money to turn the proposal down than to accept it. They did not want to run the ratepayers into any expenditure it was possible to avoid. “Do you think we could have got you out any cheaper?” concluded Mr Dash. Councillor Rattray: “That would depend on whether the sources of voluntary contributions in Timaru have been exhausted.”

In reply to Councillor Hayes Mr Dash said that the £3OOO would be spent for the relief of distress in Timaru.

Councillor Hayes said that this meant that the ratepayers of Hakataramea would have to contribute, with no prospect of sharing any benefit. In answer to further questions. Mr Dash said that the Central Relief Society was an excellently run body, with which his only difference was that they did not extract one stroke of work in return for relief money given. The chairman (Hon. J. Bitchener) tendered sincere thanks to Mr Dash for sparing the time to place valuable information at the disposal of members. Mr Bitchener went on to say that Mr Dash had put it pretty clearly that if Waimate County stood out now, there was a grave possibility of relief costing the ratepayers a lot more money later on.

Councillor Johnstone said that it appeared that if the present scheme was done away with, there was a possibility of contributing bodies being faced with the cost of £9OO.

Councillor Lindsay said he would advise nothing in the meantime. In his opinion more work would be available, and things from the unemployment point of view locally might not prove so bad as had been anticipated.

The chairman replied that on Saturday last he was met by a deputation of over 100 local unemployed who were downright up against it. These people were as decent as any men in the country, and the speaker was already in communication with the Government to see if anything could be done to relieve their present acute difficulties.

Councillor Hayes remarked that if the extra demands on ratepayers continued to mount up, in a few years’ time it would be found that the financial ratepayers would be gradually squeezed out by added levies until none would be in a position to pay their rates.

The chairman said that he quite appreciated the point raised, and it was also realised that payment into a fund from which the contributors received nothing seemed inequitable; but the position was that by paying the £146 now they would probably be taking the most economical course in the long run.

Councillor Whatman moved that the levy be paid, but that a protest at the same time be registered. The motion was not put, and at this stage the matter was held over until next meeting, by which time official details w'ould be fully available.

At a later stage of the meeting, Councillor Johnstone said that, in connection with payments from counties to hospital boards, they knew that at present the Board had the power to levy, and the counties had to pay whether the full amount was collected or not. The speaker thought it time that a move should be made to have the position altered. While in the North Island recently, in conversation with a county authority, he had been advised that this local body was taking action in the Supreme Court to have the position defined that their county should only pay on the basis of the proportion of the levy actually collected. ’ The matter was a friendly action for which the support of the Counties’ Association had not been definitely obtained. After a short discussion, the clerk was instructed to obtain all information possible bearing on the matter.