Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1886. The Charitable Aid Question.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1811, 24 March 1886, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1886. The Charitable Aid Question.

W hat between the new Hospitals'and Charitable Institutions Act, the Wellington and Wairarapa United District Board, and the Wellington Benevolent Society, the question of providing for sick and poverty-strieken persons appears to have got into a rather confused and complicated condition. It seems that the United District Board has been dilatory in taking action under the new Act of Parliament, and at its last meeting adjourned for three weeks. In the meantime, the Wellington Benevolent Institution has spent all its funds and cannot get any money from the Board. The Benevolent Institution has therefore made an appeal to the Premier for aid, and that gentleman, after denouncing the United Board for its alleged shortcomings, agreed that if the Benevolent Institution raised £250 in subscriptions the Government would grant £250 more. As the required subscription will almost certainly be obtained, the existing difficulty of the Institution will, for the time being, be got over. Incidentally, it was mentioned in the course of the statements made by the members ol a deputation to the Premier that the United District Board had decided not to assess the Wairarapa district lor purposes of hospitals and charitable aid. On this point the following remarks were made : Mr Stout said that the Board were doing wrong in not calling upon all parts of the districts to contribute. According to what appeared in the papers, the Board were not going to assess tbe Wairarapa districts. Mr Danks said that was so. The decision not to call upon the Wairarapa districts to contribute was in direct opposition to the wishes of the city members of the Board. Mr Stout expressed tbe opinion that the Board would do an illegal act if they did not levy on all the districts. Mr Powlcs said he understood from the Chairman of the Board that they did not intend to levy on the Wairarapa districts, because tbe latter were in a position to look after their own cases ol distress. Mr Stout said the district was a united one, and a levy must be made on all parts. Tbe Wairarapa might send people into Wellington for relief, and not require to spend any.trioney in their own districts. Mr Danks said Ue wished the Premier to understand that the Wellington members on the Board Lad done what they could to bring tire Act into operation. The present, difficulty was the fault of the Wairarapa members. Mr Stout observed that the districts had been united for the benefit of Wellington. Mr Banks explained that the Wairarapa out voted the Wellington members. Mr Stout said jit was to the advantage of the country districts to get the Act cheaply administered, because the levy on them would not be so great as otherwise. He thought the country people were foolish if they thought they were going to get rid of their liability. We gather from all this that another attempt will probably be made to assess the Wairarapa district under the Act. We are of opinion that this course would be an unjust one. The Wairarapa district can, and as a matter of fact does, provide for cases requiring charitable aid. Wherever any case ol distress arises volunteer contributions are readily forthcoming for its relief—not relief of the miserable starvation kind doled out by the Wellington Benevolent Society—but substantial and ample help. Then in the case of the sick there ate two hospitals in the district which are supported mainly by voluntary contributions, so that sick persons destitute of funds can find nursing good food, proper accommodation and competent medical attendance. So far as the Wairarapa district is concerned, it desires to have nothing to do with that abortion of legislation, the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act. -There may be a case now and then of severe illness or accident which it is advisable to send to the Wellington Hospital, bat ia such instances (he local

bodies might arrange to pay the Hospital charges. For the rest, we can provide for hospital treatment and charitable aid within our own borders, and do not wish to have anything to do with either the Act of Parlia ment or the Government in matter. As a general rule, the present Government contrive to muddle most things with which they meddle, but never before in the history of the colony was "there such a triumph of meddling and muddling produced as that displayed in the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act passed during last session of Parliament, Nobody has yet been found able to understand its provisions, while the attempt to bring it into operation in the Wellington Provincial District has produced a state of affairs which may be aptly described as “ confusion worse confounded.