BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 5490, 9 December 1884, Page 2

BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the a)?oi^^ : '. . was held, yesterday, when there were . ' . present— Mr ßamborfFreßidenMntaeflbalr);..- - - Rev. Mr Treadwell, Mewo J. Steventon, • Richards, Liffiton,;and J, L. Steveneofl (Hon. ' Secretary). , . . Minutes. — The minutes were read and confirmed. Deputation.— Mr liiffiton reported that , himself and Mr Drew had waited op Hon, J, "/- Baliance, relative to the pound for pound. ' subsidy granted to the society, but regard* • ing which, notice hud been received from the Government that on sums for special objects it would not be allowed iq future. The bon, gentleman had informed them that the whole question of maintenance of those institutions and charitable aid was a subject of policy which had yet to bo considered by -the, Cabinet. Personally he (Mr Ballance) ww entirely with the society, aod would give the matter his favorable consideration apd aup* . port. That was all that could be said upon the matter until they had had a Cabinet meeting to determine upon what principle charitable ad wad to be administered. He bad also received a letter from the Colonial Secretary on the same subjeot, which said that it appeared that the Society was discharging its duties in an admirable, manner ; but the question had not yet been settlod. When it had, he would lose no time in returning a definite answer to their communication.

Tub Working ov Other BENEVotKNT Societies.— The Rev. Mr Treadwell said he had received a letter when ia Wellington, asking him to enquire as to what Gov* ernmont aid was rendered there. He had done bo, and found that the Sooiety there received all its funds from the Government. They had a relieving officer whose duty it was to investigate cases, and to pay, subjeot to the direotion of the committee. When the Society ran short of money, they applied to the Government and got more* He understood that this aid was in consequence of an arrangement made on the abolition of the Provincial Government, the general feeling being that Wellington, was a place where special oases of emergency would arise. The Government appeared to have gone into an engagement to supply them with money as they needed it. He had also, spoken to Mr Ballance on the matter, with ' the same result as the deputation. Home for the Infirm and Destitptb.— The Eev. Mr Treadwell then read the following report: — Your committee have to report that they have received answers from gentlemen in different towns of the oolony to letters which they ftddfesaed to them with reference to homes existing in those towns, and the establishment, the mainten* ance, and the management of them ; and, further, that they have also received a com* munioation from the Colonial Secretary in answer to a letter addressed to the Hon. John Ballance as to the establishment of a home in Wanganui. From the former they hay« learnt that homes exist in Auckland, Nelson, and elsewhere, the expense of the maintenance of some of which at least is borne by the Government of the colony, the burden of ma ntaining them having been taken uton itself by the General Govern* menfc at the time of the abolit'on of the Fro* vinoial Government. In the latter they have , been invited to lay asohemeof whatisintended with regard to the establishment of a home in Wanganui before the Colonial Secretary, and are promised that " it shall have his best consideration." In order to be able to snb* mib to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary such ' a scheme as his communication speaks of, your committee met last Monday evening, and drafted one. In drafting it they proceeded on the hope that the Government will aot with the same generosity towards Wanganui as has been shown towards other plaoes. , The particulars of the scheme they have the pleasure of now laying before you. They are these : — I. The site.— .As to this, the committee have thought of two things, either, let, that the Government might do asked to give one or other of the sections „ they possess in town with the buildings al< ready erected on them, or 2nd, that the Borough Council »hould be asked to furnish a site. A site to be suitable would, the committee think, need to have a bit of ground round it in which vegetables oould be grown for the home by the labour of the inmates of it. Occupation, as well as a * home, would need to oe provided, both for the sake of the inmates and in order a little , to lessen expense, and this would be provided if a site were secured large enough to have a bit of garden ground around the home. Such a site, in the gift of the Borough Council, exists on the Cemetery Road near the racecourse, and for this the . committee are thinking of asking the Council. They believe that the Council would be in suchwise in sympathy with the object in view that, except for some strong reasons of which the committee are not aware, they would not refuse the request. 2. The size of the building.— Seeing that the inmates of the home would be furnished not merely from Wanganui, but from the neighbourhood extending north and south, the committee think that the building would need to be capacious enough to hold three dozen or so. - They think that besides dining-room and sitting-room and the rooms of the custodian, it should contain a sick room and a separate small dormitory for each inmate. To erect such a building in a plain way and without ornamentation, it is calculated that a sum of about £1000 or £1200 would be necessary. 3, The management of it. —To facilitate management the committee think that the home Bhould be under the hand of the Benevolent Society as acting by its commit" tee : but that, in order to secure thorough attention to it, it should be placed direotly under the control of a sub-committee. They also think that, as the inmate 3 would con> sist of both sexes, it should be placed under the charge of a married couple, to be carefully selected by the sub-committee. Rules affecting the liberties and the conduot of the inmates would need to be drawn up, which should be sufficiently, but not anuoyingly, minute aud strict. To these the committee have not thought it necessary as yet to give attention. 4. The maintea* auceofit.— On the supposition that there would be on au average two dozen inmates in the home from year's end to year's end, the yearly cost of maintenance at 7b per week per head would be a little less than £450; to this would fall to be added the salary of the custodian. And to this sum, leas what might be deducted from it through the kindness of the beuevolent and otherwise, the committee would look to the Government. In a communication as to the home in Auckland, the committee's corres* pondent says :— " The institution is maintained by the Government, but inmates who have any means or friends to support them require to pay at a small rate. Also, all pensioners when admitted give up their pen* sions to the Government through the relieving officer." In concluding this report, the sub-committee would ask that they may be continued, in order that, with the help of Buch suggestions and directions of /the general committee as may now be given, they may prosecute the matter. — In the nameof the committee, Jamhs Tbeadwew, Convener.-— Be would like the Committee to give an expression of opinion as to the report of the sub-committee, especially with regard to the matter of making a request to the Borough Council for asite.-The President, thought there could be no objection ottered to aa application being made to the Borough Council. He thought that if the Counoi! granted a section, it would show the Geyfrnmentthat the town was willing to do something in the m«tter.--The report was received on the motion of Mr J. Stevenson, aeoonded by Mr Richards, and the same resolution empowered the sub-committee to apply to the Borough Council for a site. Cases. — The President reported that there were 11 cases on the books, and that the expenditure had been greatly reduced during the last month. Next Meeting. — It was decided not to> hold a meeting in January unless some special circumstance called for it. The meeting then adjourned.