LEGISLATION AS A CURE FOR DESTITUTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2785, 7 March 1877, Page 3

LEGISLATION AS A CURE FOR DESTITUTION.

Afc tho annual meeting of the Otago Benevolent Institution, a report was laid before fche meeting, from whioh the following are extracts : — The amount expended on outdoor relief, during the past year was £2294 18s sd, being £627 2s 9;1 in excess of last year. The total number aided during the year 1876 wbs: — Adult males, 153; adult females, 373; ohildren, 1050 ; total, 1576. The corresponding numbera for tho previous year were — adult tmles, 87 ; adult females, 292 ; children, 832 ; total, 1211. The increase of persons relieved during the last year was thus 365. Of thoso rolioved, 73 were widow b, with 256 children; 44 wives, with 139 children, deserted by husbands; and 3 women, with 7 children, whose husbands wero in gaol. The amount of sickness and the numbor of deaths necessitating application to the Committee for relief were much in excess of any former yoar. In addition to supplic-B of food, tho Committee found ifc necessary fco grant supplies of fuel to 76 families ; and clothing, blankets, boots, &c , to 18 families. Seven male adults, 15 femalo adults, and 35 children wero assisted with passages to their frionds in the Colony or beyond ifc. House-rent, amounting in all to £622 8s 6d, was paid on account of 85 different families. Tho report sets forth that a large proportion of the cases dodt with wero thoso of persons who havo como to tho colony within tl.e last few years; bufc adds that in a large mujority of tho cises which camo under their notico the necessity for relief had bi-ca cau.ed by circumstances over which tho unfortunate eufforers, or thoae connected wifch them, had beon able to exerciso little or no control. The Committee feel bound tore-iterate t'i. ir Btrong conviction that in present circumstones other measures of a repressive *. mure aro also greatly needed. They, therefore, ugain press upon public con .iteration the necessity which exists for immediate legislative action in regard to euch mattcra as the following : l.Tho compellingof lazy, drunken, worthless husbands to work and to maintain their own wives and children. 2. The introduction of a moro efficient system than at present exists for tracing and apprehending those persons who havo deserted wives and children, bo as to bring them under tho operation of tho preceding proposal. 3. Tho abandonment of the present absurd modo of dealing with known habitual drunki.rds, and the institution of asylums for a'l such inebriatoe, whoro they could be saved from themselves :ind their own weaknesses, mid afc the came timo be made to contribute largely towurds their own maintenance, until r-o thoroughly reformed as to be wo.-'hy of restoration to freedom. 4. The c^n'orring of powers upon managers of benevolent and similar institutions to recov. r moneys expended on roliof from husbands or purentß, or from tho persons relieved, *.h-i it can bo es-tubli-hrd at. any subsequent p.:io:l that they possess tho means of doing co. In .ponking on the ropor^, Sir Jobn Richardson in reported hy tho Guardian to hay,. said : — Regarding tho numb r of wive, doser'ed by their husbands, and children left, un provided for, he considered ir, shameful that there =hould be so many such cases, and so far as ho could learn, thero was no hone of thorn baing diminished. The object of tho institution was to relieve the destitute of all creeds and nations, and he thought that object had been somewhat departed from. Tha legislation suggested by the Committee appeared extremely valuable if practicable, bufc he did not see how drunken worthless husbands could he made to work and maintain their wives and families. He considered further legislation desirable, though he could not sco how its measures would be oarriod out. With referenco fco tho proposal to found an asylum for habitual drunkards, he had recently seen in on English paper that ifc had ! been tried in several places and had proved ' ineffective. He thought the best system to adopt in the caee of a person getting con--1 stantly inebriated, and becoming intolerable, '■ wes to give him a good honest amount of confinement in some proper place ; but he did

not think reformation could be carried oufc extensively in that way. Mr John Bathgate said : — He was Buro thnt no one present could agree with the propriety of allowing lazy, drunken, worthless husbands to abandon their wives and ohildren, leaving them to rely on the Btate for support. Why should they subscribe to maintain the children of such diesolute prefligates ? He mentioned cases which had come under his notice in which the imperfect state of the law was made painfully palpable, and strongly urged fresh legislation on the subject. The present mode of dealing with habitual drunkards was absurd, and he had no hesitation in Baying that the law as existing relating thereto was a disgrace to civilisation. That a magistrate Bhould be compelled to sentence some poor wretch for the fiftieth time was of no practical use. He referred to the law in France, where drunkenness was made criminal, the result being tnat tho French nation waß ono of the most orderly of nations.