The Star. TUESDAY, JULY 14, 1808.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 52, 14 July 1868, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, JULY 14, 1808.

It 1h nomowhat singular, in thofio tiniOH of wtringont ooonomy, vvlion financial roform aasociationa nro in the a«condan(), when TroasurorH aro cutting down tho oatimntoH on all sidoa with mißpaving hand, and whon evory pound of extra expenditure i» haggled over with tho utmoat rolioh, to •find that evory now and tlion a largo voto ia passed by tho Council without the ulighiOHl; comment or enquiry. In oommiitoo of supply last weok an oxumplo of thiH kind occurrod. On tho motion of tho Gov.ornmont, tho sum of ;C7OO wa« voted for charitable aid, and nobody united a quontion an l;o how tho monoy had boon or was to bo cxpondod. Tho Govornmont cortainly Htalod that tho amount would bo required in oxoobh of tho provioua voto boloro tho oxpiralion of tho financial year. But that appears to uh to liavo boon an additional roanou why enquiry nhould have been mado, Charity, we are to)d, covers ft multi* tudo of binn, and certainly oxporionco amply provots that tho administration of charitablo fundu oftou govofh a largo amount of inofUoioncy, Tho fact that tho monoy wan ro. quirod for charitablo , purpoaon vory probably influenced tho Oounoil in pasHing tho voto oilontly. But wo cannot accopt thin roanon a« a eufllcionfc excuse, Only a fow months ago, tho oum of #2,250 wao granted for public

charitable purposes. And now wo nro told that £700 inoro aro wanted. Wo think it was tho duty of tho Council to onquiro into thin expondifcuro. 'Wo do not writo this in a grudging spirit. God forbid that tho roal noeossitios of tho widow and orphan should ovor bo nogloctod in Canterbury. But wo think that tho public havo a right to bo iiiformod how their funds ftvo expended. And, at tliopro«ont moment, wo boliovo that aa a rulo tlioy nro completely ignorant of tho modo in whieli this £8000 a year is oxpondod. It is to tho Grovommont that wo look for infor-y mation upon this point, and wo hopo that it will not long bo withhold. In a fpnoml way, wo boliovo wo aro corroot in stating thai; tho Qovornmont has to nunport out of this fund aomowhoro about ono hundrod orphan children. Somotliing lileo half of thoso ui'O maintaiuod in tho Orphan Asylum, and tho rout livo with their rolativos or aro placod out with other porsons. This absorbs, wo boliovo, about twothirds of tho grant, and tho rotnnining thousand pounda fa dovotod to tho roliofof widows and other dostituto porsoua. Tho ohildron at tho Orphan Anylum cost tho Government £20 ayoaroaeh, They aro woll earod for, but it is quostionablo whether this chargo might not bo materially reduced if tho wholo of tho childron could bo domiciled undor ono roof, Tho quostion of tho application ot this fund is a largo ono, and is besot with many and serious difficulties, Uoforo long it is certain that a oliaritable aid ruto will Imvo to bo raiaod. At proaont, tho land fund is tho ronl Noureo of aupply, and this ought not any longer to continue, for tho charge ifl ono which docs not bolongto, ( and ought not to bo imposed upon tho fund. In anticipation of such a ruto wo hopo to 'find tho Government proparod with a clear and doflnito (statement with rogard to it» past application. Hitherto tho monoy has gouorally boon votod without onquiry, nnd uomotimoa oxpondod in a Homowhat hap'ha/<ard manner. For tho futuro wo hopo to aoo tho Bubjoct moot with propor attention in tho Council, and then wo may oxpoct to find that tho fimdtf.will bo oxpondod on a bottor and inoro ocononucal ayßtom.