The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1889. Strong Grounds for a Change

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 15, 20 July 1889, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1889. Strong Grounds for a Change

In agricultural and pastoral places like this, people can hardly conceiv the extent to which charitable aid is carried, and imposed upon, in large centres. To show the eyil which Dr McGregob is trying to abate, we will extract a portion of the lesson learnt on the 4tb July and reported in the New Zealand Herald of the Bth inst., under the heading of "A day with the Charitable Aid Board." Thirtysix cases applied for rations. No 1 . A family reported to be maintaining a sleek bull dog. No. 2, had been formerly recommended as a deserving object by his landlord until he changed his residence, when the former landlord reported him as undeserving. No. 3. The father having got all his children into the Industrial School now applied for his own maintenance. No. 4 having been assisted with £20 to build him a trap required rations until it was ready. No. 5. A young woman, with two intelligent children, claiming to have no knowledge as to the father of the same. No 5 had passed fifteen out of 20 years in gaol, a hopeless vagabond and drunkard. No. 7. Broken down after long record in connection with the worst side of city life. No. 8. At present living in " Princes Street Receiving Home," at the Board's expense, had apparently mistaken the particular charity he wished to sponge on. No. 9. A powerful navvy, who had been supplied with the cost of his passage money to work at Westport, and on arrival had been paid by the " strikers " to return to Auckland and charitable aid rations. No. 10. A stroug able-bodied woman whose husband had left her. No. 11, Also a strong: able woman who is willing to work for herself, or her children, but not for both unless the Board pays for it. No. 12. A stylishly dressed young woman who was willing to take a situation as nurse in hospital, asylum, or gaol, but declined with scorn to accept eight shillings a week, and her board, which had been offered through the relieving officer, as a domestic. The above are asserted to be a fair sample of the thirty »•: x applicants, the female portion of then. all beiug comfortably and some well dressed. The gentleman reporting adds : " Roughly speaking, the quiet suffering poor were not there.'' 1 Few can read the above without wishing with ourselves —More power to you Dr MoGeegob! and if the Act won't work as it is we hope it will be " licked into shape."