The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1886. CHARITABLE AID

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1341, 14 September 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1886. CHARITABLE AID

Mr W. C. Walker, deserves well of his constituency for his endeavors to secure the better working of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act so far as it concerns this districts. During last session of Parliament he labored strenuously to introduce an amendment having for its effect the separation of Ashburton County and Borough from the district now under the control of the North Canterbury United Charitable Aid Board, and, although he failed in the attempt, it was through no fault of his own, and we are glad to learn that he does not despair of ultimate success, being confident that the desired separation will be obtained next session. In the meantime, however, he evidently intends to endeavor to effect any reforms possible in the working of the existing Board, and as a preliminary step at the last meeting of that body made some very pertinent enquiries with the view of eliciting precisely “ Where and how the money goes.” In Otago, the expenditure on Charitable Aid is about per [annum, while in Canterbury it is double that amount, and we, as well as Mr Walker, would like to know the reason of this disparity. Several of the members of the Board variously explained the difference as being due to the greater exercise of private charity and benevolence, to the poor being very miserably looked after, and to there being more public works in progress in Otago than in Canterbury, but after making due allowance for all

of these things there still seems to be a larger margin than there should be. It seems incredible that distress should be existent on so much larger a scale in Canterbury than in the Southern province, and steps should be taken to ascertain the reason of the difference. The subject is one that concerns the people of this district in no small degree, for a very considerable sum of money has to be raised here for the purposes of Charitable Aid, and the amount absorbed by the alleviation of distress in our own locality is not very large. For the year ending March 31, 1887, the Ashburton County Council will have to pay to the Central Board in Christchurch, the sum of as 5d as the Council’s contribution for Charitable Aid purposes, while the Borough has to raise nearly for the same object. For the half-year ended March 31, 1886, the County Council paid .£836, and the Borough Council contributed in corresponding rate. It will thus be seen that over per annum has to be raised by this district, of which the lion’s share is disbursed in Christchurch. We have, therefore, a very good right to claim that care should be exercised in the expenditure of this money and that none of it should be received except by those who are otherwise unable to obtain the means of subsistence.