CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4855, 22 January 1894, Page 2

CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the Charitable Aid Board of North Canterbury wae held this morning at 10.35; present— Mr B. Weatenra (in the chair), and Meesrs A. Chalmers, W. H. Cooper, J. T. Smith, H. W. Peryman, W. Duulop, W. Langdown, B. Parish, E. Hamilton, and the Son W. C. Walker. Apologies were received from Messrs Bonnie and Hoare (Mayor of Ashborton). THE FOOB UPON THE LAND. The Linwood Borough Council wrote urging the Board to communicate with the Government on the matter of placing the poor upon suitable blocks of Crown lands. The letter was received. Mr Cooper suggested that the Council should be advised to forward a copy of the resolution to the Government. Mr Feryman thought it would strengthen, the Council's hand if the Board endorsed the letter. The Hon W. C. Walker said that it would be better if the Government would make it a condition that men upon Government relief works should be settled upon the land. The greatest difficulty the Board had to deal with was relieving the families of men who had this work until they got their first draw. If the Government would endeavour to settle these men and their families upon the land near these works the self-respect of the men would not be lost, and much of the difficulty now experienced would be done away with and i the Board relieved. It was an important matter, and should certainly be brought under the notice of the Government. Mr Dunlop moved the postponement of ! the consideration of the matter till next meeting. This was agreed to. ! chairman's statement. The Chairman reported as follows :*— Ab* .Christmas day fell on the fourth Monday in December the ordinary meeting of the Board lapsed, and Idid not consider it neceßsary to call members together before the date fixed for this month's ordinary meeting,, as 'there appeared to be no special business [ beyond the usual routine, which iB dealt [ with every week by the committee. There' !is a letter from the Linwood Borough \ Council for the Board's consideration, and other matters which will be presented in the Committee's reportß. FINANCK. The Finance Committee reported :— The committee has considered the letter re* • f erred to it by the Board, from the Colonial Bank, and recommends that the formal resolutions be passed by the Board. Your committee realise th« importance of better provision than hitherto being made for payment of contributions from some of the local authorities, in order t,o prevent the overdraft in future of the Board's account at its bankers, and has accordingly issued a letter directing the oaroful attention of the local bodies to this matter, and. suggesting the adoption of a regular practice of remitting by equal montbly instalments throughout the year, the amount required to carry out the Board's work. The following are the instalments to band since the November meeting of the Board : — Aahburton County (ninth and tenth monthly paymentsj.each £Bl ßs 6d j Akaroa County (eighth and ninth monthly payments), each £25 14b sd; Selwyn County (third quarterly payment), .£467 13s 7d ; Kowai Boad Board (second instalment), £50; Oxford Boad Board (final payment), 1 £65 23 sd; Mandeville and Baugiora Boad Board (first instalment), £83< 11s Id; 1 Christchurch City (fifth instalment), J8248 1 19a ; Sydenham Borough (final instalment), i £130 9a lid ; Ashburton Borough (second instalment), £20 5 Linwood Borough (second 1 instalment), £30 In ; St Albans Borough : (third instalment), £28 8b Id. The Bank 1 overdraft at the present date is £150 19s 9d. The formal resolution referred to was moved by the Hon W. C. Walker, and carried, specifying limit of overdraft at £1500. INSTITUTIONS COMMITTEE'S BEPOBT. 1 -The Institutions Committee reported ■ favourably on the general oondition of 1 the Lyttelton Orphanage, the Memorial > Home, and the Female Befnge. His Ex- ' cellency the Governor and Lady Glasgow ' visited the Home at Woolston on Jan. 5, k and made a detailed inspection of the 1 premises, with the arrangements of which ' they expressed much satisfaction. The I inmates were greatly pleaded with the " kindly interest shown in their welfare. [ The medical officer's report on the health 1 of the children at the Orphanage during ' the past quarter is satisfactory. The matron of the Female Befuge having ' intimated her intention of retiring from • office at the end of March,, the Board iB ' asked to approve the appointment, by the ' Ladies' Committee, of her Bucoeßßor, and 1 an assistant nurse. Your Committee de- ' eirea to acknowledge sundry gifts at 1 Christmas for the benefit of the Old ' People's Home. 1 OUTDOOR BBMEF. 1 The statistics of outdoor relief Bhowed. ' that the number of separate cases relieved' > in December was 431, as against 421 in the i corresponding month of the previous year, and only two fewer than in November. J The total number of persons participating1, in thiß outdoor relief waa 1436 in Decem- : { beE, and 1444 in November. Eleven cases 1 were thoße of new applicants. INDOOR BELIEF. The Btatement of indoor relief was as * j followß -.—Children resident at the Orphan* " age, 8j boarded out,^27; other destitute children boarded out, 47; inmateß of the Memorial Home, 38 ; inmates of the Ashburton Home, 63; inmates of the Female ', j Befuge, 12 women with their infants ; , i Armagh Street Dep6fc, 7 men. , j MISCELLANEOUS. , i Authority was asked for the distempering of the walls of the Female Befnge. Mr Dunlop thought the Ladies' Com- ; mittee had undertaken to do all neceuswry . I repairs. '■ | The Chairman said he understood that , ' the Board and the Ladies' Committee were ! in the position of landlord and tenant. The position was, however, this: Those who had undertaken the management of this institution were doing uncommonly, good work, and work that the Board could. : not very well do. On the motion of Mr Parish, the matter was left in the hands of the committee. j Mr Dunlop asked for a return of the ! expense of the maintenance of th&Ljttel-- ' ton Orphanage proper for the children, boarded out. The clerk, Mr Norris,. said this return was published, and he would forward a. ' copy to Mr Duulop. j Mr Cooper asked if Dr Stewart had re ' ported the death of a child named Hill, oa the East Belt, some time ago. The verdict had been death from starvation, aei cording to the evid«nce of the Board a ' doctor. He took it that Dr Stewart had full power of ordering any food or stimu* lants necessary, and yet he stated that the child had died of starvation. ' Mr Norris read the doctor's explanation,, which was that the child had not been, able to assimilate its food, and had, therefore, practically died of starvation. Wanii of food and starvation were not always synonymous terms. The Board then adjourned.