THE EPIDEMIC.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16434, 30 January 1919, Page 5

THE EPIDEMIC.

WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS'

PENSIONS.

UNIFORMITY DEMANDED

Strong objection to the discrimination made in the pensions paid to the widows and children of influenza epidemic victims and those paid to what might • be termed ordinary widows and orphans, was made at yesterday's meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Other features of the Government's scheme were also criticised.

The chairman (Mr F. Horrell) objected to tiie Uoard being required to make investigations, into claims for pensions on the part of sufferers by the epidemic, when the Ponsions' Department was so much, better qualified to do it.: A widow was a widow, and why should a widow who lost . her husband through the epidemic receive 10s 6d a week for boys up to 16, and girls up to 18, whilst an ordinary widow received only £18 per year for one child, and £1:4 for the remainder? Again, an ordinary widow could not-get the penstion for children born out of New Zealand. On the other hand, if they were the children of a man who died during the epidemic, they received the pension. What they wanted to point out was that the present widows' pension was not. sufficient. It should be represented to the Government that the ponsions should be made uniform .in necessitous cases. He felt very strongly on this. He would like to see a letter sent to the Minister, asking the Board to be released from paying widowers 25s for housekeepers -to look after their children, when there were so many excellent orphanages in the city, where tho children would be cared for much better He felt that the' Minister had not grasped the position. He suggest ed that the following motions be passed by the Board, and forwarded to tho Minister: — „ . , , "That the Minister of Hospitals be written ,<to, asking that the Board be rolieved' of administering pensions to epidemic widows, as we consider the Pension Department is the proper authority to do so." . . "That the Board is of opinion that all widows' pensions should bo on a uniform scale, with a maximum of 10s for each child, and that tho ages for which pensions are payable should be, boys 15 and girls 16." ' , , . , Mrs Wilson endorsed the chairman s remarks. Epidemic widows should not bo obliged to coiVio to the Charitable Aid Board and wait about for their pensions. They felt there Vwas a stigma attachable to this. jj r "\Y. H. Cooper failed to see why tho Government should give 10s 6d per week to one orphan, and only 5s 9d and 5s lOd to another. There should be a uniform rate. He agreed that a letter should be sent to the Minister upon tho lines indicated by the chairman. Tho chairman said he failed to see the difference between the Minister s Social and Belief Board and the Chari able Aid Board. He strongly objected

to the proposed separate body to dispense charitable relief. Ho held that the people who provided the money should be allowed to spend it. Mrs Wilson emphasised that widows' pensions should bo made uniform. Other members considered the raising of the age of orphans receiving pensions under the influenza scheme to 18 was scandalous. It meant keeping them from going to work. Mr S. Andrew moved that a deputation be appointed to meet the Minister. The chairman said it was not only Christchurch that was concerned, the whole Dominion was affected. The chairman's motions were carried. COST OF THE CAMPAIGN. A return submitted showed that the cpidemic had cost the Board £14,263 13s 3d, with many accounts still to come in. As against this £473 13s 3d had been received. Hospitals had cost £8970 7s Id, inhalation chambers £769 15s 9d, and the motor and ambulance service £2810 Is 2d. Details are as follows:— TEMPORARY HOSPITALS. £ b. d. Amberley .. ... -- 22 18 2 Amuri ... .. .. 103 410 Akaroa .. .. • • 90 3 4 Bishopj scour t and Bealey avenuo Children's Hostel .. .. 54-1 18 1 Cheviot .. •• .•• 151 711 Kaiapoi .. .. . • 1258 910 Lyttelton (not complete) .. 493 2 8 Oxford • • • • • • 1 ® Rangiora . • • • . • 1020 14 11 Royal Auxiliary Hospital .. 1405 3 6 Trotting ground (rent and compensation for premisea yet to b9 determined) .. .• • 3499 14 7 Waikari Hospital (coat of altering k buildings not yot to hand) 720 11 1 Total 8370 7 1 INHALATION CHAMBERS. Akaroa 11" 2 A mnri .. .. •• 3 ° „ „ Christchurch and Suburbs «. 596 9 9 Halswell f. \ i Kaiapoi 29 33 Rangiora .. •• •• „ 0 0 Selwyn 3 - ° Total .. •• •• 769 13 0 DISTRICT ACCOUNTS (OTHER THAN MOTOR, ETC.) Akaroa and. County and Borough includes £90 8s lid Okawe a*) iu 3 8 0 Cheviot •' 9 9 1 Ellewrieie • • • • * * o q Heathcote •• " j gjq Kaiapoi •• *• 34 17 io Rangiora •• •• •• 3 15 0 Springs 510 8 Spreydon ( •• •• •• 77 18 3 Wairewa •• , •• , Christchurch Suburbs (includes remedies, ®tc., to country districts) •• " 1347 0 5 Total •• ." 1713 9 3 Motor and ambulance service throughout North Canterbuiy 0 District - 810 1 - Total, so far as is aacer- g taincd • • • • » The hosmtal accounts were for maintenance, wages, and eqmpment rh Bishopscourt and Bealey ave Children's Hostel accounts were- made up as follows -and _ wa es £134 10s 4d, equipment £410 sjld. A letter was received from the Mt. Herbert County Council stating that it had decided to pay the county costs of the epidemic out of the county _ funtlb. "I wish they would all do that, remarked the chairman.

A vote .of thanks was accorded th.o Council.

Mrs Green asked whether it was not a fact that several persons who started as voluntary workers had ended up by charging for their services. Mr H. J. Otley said it was morally certain, though he could not prove it, that a great many persons had done this, their action being influenced by other people putting in claims. Mr W. J. Walter: Quite right. ! Mr Otley said.he was very Eorry to hear this remark. The Government would have to pay, but without a doubt members of the Board had been very disappointed iira few cases where people had put in claims for payment. The Board had advertised for assistance, a n d in a very largo number of cases thev thought the assistance offered was voluntary. They r/ere sorry to say that in some cases accounts had come in. Mr Walter said some persons in a sound financial position had been paid for their services, whilst others in poor circumstauces had had to work for nothing. One voluntary worker, a poor woman, had been charged 7s 6d for breaking an instrumentThe secretary said she would secure a refund. • Tiie discussion then ended. POWERS OF INSPECTION. LOCAL BODIES' RESPONSIBILITY. MrS. Andrew brought up tj>6 question of inspection. Instead 9f dele-gating-their powers to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, local bodies, he considered, should have full powers of inspection, and the resulting responsibility. The Hospital Board's inspection was not sufficient, and local bodies were sheltering behind the Board and shirking their responsibility. Tließoard should put on an extra staff of inspectors to make a thorough inspection of the whole district. iho Government should be shaken up. Mr W. J. Walter: You v can't shake the Government up. Mr Andrew said the Government were putting their responsibilities on to the Hospital Boards, and the North. Canterbury Public Health Committee was not doing its work. If another epidemic broke out, neither the Government nor the Board would escape censure. The chairman said the Board's inspectors were already very hard worked. Unless local bodies did tlieir own work and paid for it, he did not see what the Board could do unless it put on more inspectors, and that meant increased! expense. Mr W. J. Walter said the Ivaikoura County Council, which Mr Andrew represented, must have been shirking its responsibility in the matter. The discussion then ended. . THE MINISTER'S SCHEME. (SPECIAL TO "TUB TRESS.") WELLINGTON, January 29. The Government has vefc to deal with, the problem of arranging more satisfactorily for the dispensation of relief to those people who have suffered" by the epidemic. The objection to the 1 present system is that the relief has to Tie dispensed by the Charitable Aid Boards. The undertaking given to the House of Representatives was that the relief should in no way partake of the nature of a charitable dole, and it is considered both by the Boards and the applicants

for relief that the system is not satisfactory. The problem of what other organisation can be developed is still beine considered by the Minister of Public Health, who will submit his scheme to Cabinet very shortly—possibly to-mor-row. It is not going to be an easy; matter to give this relief.