ITS CONTINUED INCREASE. PROTEST! FROM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 10451, 28 October 1904, Page 2

ITS CONTINUED INCREASE. PROTEST! FROM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

At last night's meeting of the Thiadiies Borough, Council the Mayor (Mr F. Treimbatii) moved: "That this Council views -with alarm the continued increase in the cost of charitable aidi, and is of opinion, that in lieu of a single woman and single man being appointed caretakers at the old people's home, at an increase of siidary over the amount, hitherto laid, the 'Charitable Aid Board should appoint a married couple, and their salary should not exceed £100 per annum.- The Council also take the opportunity of thanking its representatives on the Board for the stand they are taking in this direction.'' Speaking to. -the resolutioW tho Mayor .sia'id that despite the, fact, that the .charitable aid! levies weighed quite heavy enough on. the contributing bodies the Board had decided to increase /the, |costti io.fl administering 1 the Old Men's Homo and were now" advertising for applications for superintendent a.t .£IOO and matron at £'.10, while before a married couple received jfrlOO per year and all found. The Tatter sum he though, quite sufficient. Cr. Scott askedl what was the reason for the motion? .{Jr. Comer, the representative on tho Charitable' Aid Board, was asked to explain- He said there had been, ii little frictioni asi to 1 the management of the Home, because tho superintendent attempted to ignore the Board-By-lavs for the proper cond'uicit of the Horn"© had been; drawn up and the TToa'rd at its Yost meeting had decided! to increase the salaries from ifilOOi {$*: the £«.up|hrinitend<ent and matron (a married douple) to £130 and the Thames members thought, the increaseTw-asr unjustifiable. Thay were, however, outvoted by the upcountry feniibors, and) he now asked the Council, as, one of the contributing 'foodie®, to back up its representatives or give an expression •-•f opinion, as to their conduct. Or. Burns: Was any reason given for tlie increase? i Cr- Comer: iNiothing except that i they thought the increased saAary Would bring out better menCr. 'Sdott hesitated about interfering with the action of the Charitable .Aid_Boars. If the Thames members were out-voted! he did not see. how 1 the Council «m.ld assist, them. The resoI lutio.ni was passed by the Board and I from what he knew of the up-country memfersi he was satisfied that they were levtel-hended men and he was adverse to condemning! their actionCv- Wood disagreed with the last speaker. The Council as one of the coiitritouitinsri bodfes had every right to •express a.n opinion as to the dispensing oF the nloney that the Council and other contributing bodies supplied. With all due respect to the 'doiuntry members, he thought, that they were talking a little extravagantly when they complained thai the salary,. .£7O (per year and found for the .superintendent, was no more than they paid their stable boys. Cr- Bums; said the details should not 'be discussed- The reason for the Council objecting to the increase wa.f on account of the., increased cost of lohnjritabiei nid\ wifmih vU^ pressing hard Biv the local bodies. d". Scott •denied that the cost -was iiwireusing. So far as. thel Homes were concerned ho believed the Board intended to iidd farming and poultry to the work and thus endeavour to "nsalke jtiha iKdmci jself-sujiportinigj; also to ip«y for the labor of the men employedTlia Mayor maintained that the t cost of charitable aid was increasing ■ and asked the clerk for details'Mr Brunei said the cost had been' steadily increasing. After further remarks the motion wiu». passed, Cr. Scott's being, the only hand held up in opposition.