THE JUBILEE HOME.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9940, 17 January 1900, Page 2

THE JUBILEE HOME.

DISCUSSION AT THE BOBOTOH COUNCIL. . .

The Management of the Jubliee-Home came in for a littlo criticism at the Borough Council meeting/ last evening. Tie • question was introduced in consequence of the Mayor reporting that he had given permission, subject to the approval of the Council, for the ereotion of l a cottage on the Borough reserve, near the Cemetery, for a family in distressed circumstances in Wanganui, the money for which had been raised by subscription. * Cr Peat intimated Ma intention of objecting to the action of the Mayor, v Cr Richardson, while sympathising with the Mayor in hia efforts to assist a , deserving case, thought the Council - might err in establishing a precedent. Cr Bell pointed out that they, already' bad a precedent for such a step, in that -7* the Council had allowed "Granny" Dalton to occupy ft piece of a borough re- ■■ servo, and ho had never heard any ono raise an objection to this. Cr Perrett said he was fully in sympathy with the Mayor in helping an un- , fortunate family, and thought no great harm would result in the Council allow- ~ ing them to occupy the land. Cr Liffiton said he had no objection, provided a document was drawn up Betting foith that the occupants had no* vested interests in the property. He pointed out that in the past the Council lad had a great deal of difficulty in get- ' ting rid of persons who lived on the reaeivea now known, as Queen's. Park and ' Cook's Gardens. Cr Bassott expressed sympathy with the unfortunate people for whom the\\ Uxtney was raised, and commended the-, actions of those moving in the matter. * - He thought it was most unfortunate that ' they had iv the town, an institution, specially established to provide for such cs?es, m such a state that people of tins • sort were practically excluded from' it. - He did not undertake to criticise the ' gentlemen who had the control of dt; but , there was the fact that the public gener- '' ally were dissatisfied with the conduct of - it, as also the old people themselves.* Ifwas a lamentable state of affairs that ' they could not send the family to th&-',-Home and make them comfortable. With retpect to the erection of the cottage, he » as not so much afraid of establishing" a precedent, as ho wai desirous of guarding the Avenue to the Hospital. The locality between the town and the 1 Heads ' was fast being built on, and he thought; that in time the Borough reserves would^ be taken up for residential sites-. , .J. The Mayor stated that hq' had' no dcubt tho cottage Mould not be unsightly and might be erected back from the read. - ' Cr Gatenby, speaking as one of tho • Council's representatives on the Charit- - able Aid Board, said he took exception ,' to the statement of Cr Bussett, that the* inmates of the Old Men's Home wete ( diß^> satisfied. The statement was absolutely,^ without foundation. He went up to'therp Home the other day in company with Mr't Johnston, another member of the Board; s; Tho latter had gone up not officially,' but '• as a friend of his (Cr Gatenby's), TheyV spent nearly two hours 'up there^-andA found the bods were clean anchamply / supplied with clothing. They questioned-, every inmate in the place as to' wHettiej; ' ' they were satisfied, but only one had the % slightest complaint to make, and that ~-, wan had been criticised by the editor o£ '' the "Herald" as a man who was not to be believed on oath. Further ,than that'he ■ (Cr Gatenby) had the unsolicited' testi;' ' mony of a gentleman' who was intimate * with a number of old soldiers up at,tnew. Home who formerly were connected ,wi£h.- "; the Bame regiment ac his informant, 'andri he always made it a point to inqmro. aa to their welfare at the Home. HoffidJ* ifc gave him groat pleasure v . tp aes.'tle^ clean and decent way the mea, Vere 1 ? dressed, when, they came to town., !!«s£-' one and all stated tiiat they were'treated-" in the most admirable manner, and had , not the slightest reason to «fay"anythingagainst the institution. There had. been \, a great deal in the papers, bufho^Cr' Gatenby) had thoroughly satisfied hMv! self that the complaints were, entirely*; groundless. One of 'th<? ininates- > vwis v &t '.' the bottom of all the trouble v ■ This/nw^ went to one of the newspapers, and etafi?* ed that he had been, treated in'tK^Jfldlt I brutal manner, and to''the otW' paper' i he had vouchsafed the statement tht^t he ? was not badly treated at all; becauee'ihof officials at the Htfmo were frightened ti s " .treat him badly, and that he 'was /ably '- speaking on behalf of the other inmates?! He (Cr Gatenby) would be plegaed'atjniy j time to give an account of his steward-? ship and if the Council were dissatisfied ■£ with him they could appoint" another^ representative. '' ■v/r*^ Cr Liffiton, as tho other representative^ of tho Council on the Board, 'said; iho^ could le-echo what Cr Gatenby! had saidVf Ho had not been to the Home.rebently,^ but some little time ago he maae » ixoeb'ti eihaustiye inquiry (privately andVajStuS prise visit). One of his old servants was,4 at the Home, and he had expressed hints £, Belf perfectly satisfied.' The agitation in% the first place had been got up bfSitifofX two people who did not know Veil fthe> characters of those who gave" tKemiinps foimation. Like his colleagne,xlie l rwaß^;! always willing to give an aoqount/of'iiqS stewardship. He was on tho Board to.uijß^ hia common sense, and not merely as? '■£% deputy. He resented the inferences thatf'j other members of the Board we^e brute*.' s It was not his disposition to be cruel 'or- Ibrutal, and the gentlemen who were'as-'J sociated with him on the -Board had a ■. reputation for being patient and'reason- * able. , 0 „^-C. Cr Bassett said he 1 thought ifc:waa-' ! quitq possible that the Council's reprerV sentatives were quite honest' and. sincere • in their convictions, but at the. Santa's timp quite wrong. The" Council .Jfad'f. never characterised them as brutosV-Tng"? cpmion was, notwithstanding Cr, Gateir-4* d/s statement, that the men-'made;'iioj> complaints, that thsy wefe afraid-to'dob so. The old men looked on'the'offlcialst! at the Home as fixtures and asVoonSa lquenne were absolutely afraid of.jntitt-;* man treatment. Some of "them had' Said they would suffer if they made com-* plaints— that was the position '■ that '• many of tho old men occupied.' He •had, been informed by a gentleman, CwKo"se-~ statements he had no reason to ,ddUht,4? that the ivardsman at the Homo h'ad'aefeV ed more like a brute than a man—He (CjA Bassett) was positively ashamed 'to- w-' 1 peat the words that had been, applied to'i some of the inmates by the warder.- .'lf. the statements which he had heard '(h"e could not vouch for the truth of them, l but they had been made to bim'bya'c gentleman whd heard them usc&'iiijsi-, self) had been made, then the mac'^aa"-' not fib to occupy the position of 'warder/ and it was to be deplored that old \> people's lives should be made miserable^ as they were at tho present timei'-'Ono'*. man was refused assistance in gettfeVtip^ the staircase, and other inmates -%ad">' been told they ought to be dead. These 1 statements had come from a person who = heard them used. - it - ,-^:^ Cr Gatenby suggested that Cr Bassett,^ seeing that he seemed to have the nuifl'or '■> so much ot heart, should -visit the Honied and he felt sura that he (Cr - Bassett);' would then be of the same opinidnlaS'r himself — that tho inmates were happy '^ and contented. -" x " Cr Peat said that the discussion shifsrii ed most clearly tha£ the "Council werp» ; taking a wrong move. Any oneVof "thes inmates of the Home was just as muclrt entitled to apply for a similar concession^ as were .those who now aaked for "a sitai for the erection of a cottage. If the man-& agement of the Home was wrong 'i»? should be rectified. They should not " make fish of one and fowl uf .anotfcer,''Ib was the principle of the thing that ho' " objected to. It was kind of uhe people? to .subscribe tiie money, but the Councilswas there to administer for all, not for,! any particular party. Oute they estab-; lished a precedent they wonld have.ap- ' plication from all quarters. He moved * that the action of the Mayor be not con< firmed. y " Cr Gatenby second* d the motion,? asho did not think by endorsing the ' Mayor's aotion they would be pntting ' the reserves to a proper use. The Home was the proper place for the unfortunate family, and they would be well looked allor there. - The Mayor said he was much surprised , that Crs Peat aud Gatenby would thuf, support a vote of censure on his actioiis. I Crs. Peat and Gatenby— No' no ] He contended that it was practte- ' ally a vote of ceneure. He thought that in such a case they mitfht show a little of - the milk of human kindness. Crs. Peafc and Gatenby had tulcen a w.rped view ol the matter, aa no harm could possibly >>? dene by doing as he had 'su^estei II it -vas wrong to do as he proposed, it.' the Chess Club and one or two other

similar bodies. When they were told by }iioplc that (hoy would not put a dog in tbc Old Men's Home, bo>v could they expect others to beak a icf"?C there. He did not proles to k'le-w anything about Mio institution, but this he would say, that in an isointed home like that, where there wore onlj' two ofljceis, it was not a right principle that they bhould be Jiear relatives. [ V voice There arc throe attendants, all rotated. j Tlmt made tht principle trebly winug. As iar as the Council's reprea-ciitathes on the Boaiu were concerned, lio had contidence in them. Cr Peat— How would you get on if a man nud his wife m maged tho Horno 5 The Mayoi — That )& a different nialtci •altogether i Alter ;v little further discussiein, the Mayor's action waa confirmed. Crs. Gatenby and Peat ale.no opposing it.