INDIGENT CHILDREN.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1520, 16 August 1912, Page 5

INDIGENT CHILDREN.

At luesilays meeting of the ChoritaMu Aid Committee, Mr. A. H. Trnebridse (superintendent of tho Ohiro Home) sub-mitted-a report dealing with tho maintenance of indigent children by tho State through tho charitable institutions. Tltf' report states:—

"The committee decided, on Juno 11 last, to postpone consideration of tho Eduea-i lion Department's account of .C7SB 10s. Sd. for the maintenance of children committed .-under the Industrial Schools Act, 1908, for tho quarter ended March 31 until it could bo ascertained whether tho Department wouU consent to apprise the board: (1) As to tho maintenance orders made agninst "near relatives" upon tho committal of such children; (2) as to where tho Various children, now retui'noll as in (lie Wellington Receiving Hojno are. actually located..•< ■■ ■ '•..■'■«.'•'■•■■ "The children of the Receiving' Homo nro drafted out by tho Education Department officers into private families, which may bo willing to receive them for tho payment provided, which varies from 7,5. (id. to lOs.'por week. In these homos the children are under the inspection'of officers appointed by the Education Department, and I am informed that local residents'of the vicinity of such homes, usually ladies, arc appointed as a sort of honorary inspector, to look at the children from time to time. Under Section, 85 of tin Hospitals anil Charitabla Aid Act, 11)09, it. is. provided that the cost of mnintcnancs tip to Bs. per'week of all children in Industrial Schools is to 1,6 defrayed by the" hospital and charitabla aid boards.

"This means; that after deducting the. Government subsidy, the ratepayers ol tho board's district have to provide JGI.IOC out of the rates per annum. The question then arises whether, Mnco tho Legislature, has placed (his th« ratepayers, it has not at (he same (imo necessarily conferred upon the ratepayers' representatives some righto or 'imposed same responsibilities, tlas (he board, in fact, any right to knowledge or of responsibility for tho subsequent condition; of the children by' virtue of (he fact that' it pays shell a considerable sum for their maintenance? It has been held in other circumstances that (he provision of funds docs imply such rights and responsibilities as are indicated, a. proof of which is (he Hospitals and Charitable Aid Act of VJO9 itself, which is framed upon tho assumption tdiat since l.hc general Government provides a; proportion of the funds, it has a right to certain control through its particular agent, the Hospitals Department. Does what applies in one ease not apply equally in. l(ie other!' "Hitherto, however, in respect of Government schools and'boarded-out children no such right has lx>on conceded to tho board, and therefore from (he moment a child is committed to (he Receiving Homo it passes absolutely- out of tho view of the representatives,of the public, which lmys a considerable proportion of its maintenance ccst.. ,:.. .. 1 contended, herein, that while it is generally asserted that the private' boarding-out system ja entirely satisfactory, 1 )vns not aware that tho board had any direct evidence, nor any. means of obtaining any direct, evidence, from which it might form an independent or reasoned opinion cither in (support of or opposition to this view, notwithstanding that it was called upon lo mako a decision in 80 per cent, of (ho eases of committal in this district. Tho secretary, however, is unable to view tho matter in the light suggested. He is of opinion that to give information to.(ho board as to tho whereabouts of the children would be tantamount lo conceding n, right to inspect the homes, a.nd that this would constitute a system of dual control which would be inimical to the policy of the Department, which further considers that any inspection on behalf of the board would increase the difficulty of. finding homes for children by augmenting tho existing inspection to an extent so irksome to foster-parents as to bo prohibitive, even if such insneeliou on behalf of the board wero confined within the most meagre limits and made in componv with an official of the Department.' After the report was read and briefly discussed. Mr. D. M'Laren moved, and it was decided to recommend, that the board appeal to the Government to afl'ord_ it reasonable opportunity for (ho acquisition of information at first hand respecting children boarded-out under the Industrial Schools or other similar Acts, a considerable proportion of whoso maintenance is provided by (ho ratepayers whom tho board represents. On the motions of Mr. J. E. hitzgernld and Mr. R. Fletcher respectively, (h« thanks of the committee were accorded to the Charitable Superintendent for bringing forward tho maternity question and for his report respecting industrial school children.