CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1352, 14 June 1878, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

Thursday, Junk 13

A special meeting of the City Council was held last night, for the purpose of considering what action should be taken in the matter of charitable aid. The following were present:—His Worship the Mayor, and Cra. Bratt,Radcliffe,|Brigga,Buddenklau, and Bird The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.

[At this stage the fire-bell disturbed the Council, and the meeting was adjourned, in order to allow the members to visit the scene of the fire.] Upon resuming, a letter of apology was read from Cr. Ick, whom indisposition prevented from attending His letter stated that he was opposed to the Council taking over the hospital, &c, as he did not think that body a suitable one. Cr. Briggs said that he had seen Cr. Tok during the day, and that gentleman had expressed his great regret at being unable to be present. Ho had no desire to shirk responsibility in the matter.

The Mayor then explained for what pur* pose the meeting had been held, and called upon the clerk to read the following : Christehureh, June Bth, 1878.

Sir, —I have the honor to inform you that T have been advised by the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, that after the 30th June the Government will discontinue the present mode of charitable aid. I am also informed th t it U props sed to hand over to local institutions the administration and control oi cxpondituro op. aeeonnt of charitable aid, tho Government undertaking to contribute an equivalent to any sums r.ihed by voluntary subscription or contributions which local bodies may make out of their funds, end will make i o deductious from the subsidy pnya'-le under the Financial Arrangements Act, 187 G and 1877. to munieipalitio ', &c.

1 forwarded en the 20th Mnrcii last a return ox ores receiving relief in the City of Christchurch, and skail be happy to give any further information that lies in my power, If you will be good enough to appoint a fee, I will wait on you and hand over all papers a: d documents in connection with this matter. I have the honor, ftc, J, K. MAiioir.

To His Worsbip the Mayor of Cliristmureh The Mayor said that wh.de lie admitted ilia., the Government was not the best holy t> which to entrust the charge of hospitals and charitable aid, still lie asserted that the City Council was not either, and thisindepei denfly of the fact that the Council had no funds for the purpose. It was still worso when the

Government asked them to take charge of these, and at the same time informed them that they must themselves meet nil charges and stand the chance of having the money expended recouped to them by subsidies. The largo amount of charitable aid distributed in Cliristcliurch was due to peculiar circumstances arising from the prosperity of the province. The funds had formerly been voted by the Provincial Council, and when tho General Government took over tho revenue of the province these charges formed part of the liabilities at the same time taken over. The Government, however, were not satisfied with that. They wished to grasp everything in the shupe of revenue, but wanted to get rid of all responsibility. He would use his utmost endeavours to prevent them succeeding. It was not a liability which the city could fairly be called upon to accept. It had been proposed by Government that local supervision should be established, with a view to preventing extravagance and waste in hospitals and charitable aid, and in order that local bodies should have some idea of the expense of such institutions. He (tho Mayor) hod been one of the persons indicated, and others were named who shoidd have this supervision. Without thinking that the selection made was the best, he must say he thought the plan a good one. Put it had fallen through, and tho hospital was now placed under the management of the medical staff. The local bodies which would have to take these institutions under their care he believed were still without the information necessary for fcheir'guidance; yet it was proposed that within a fortnight these institutions wsre to be thrown upon the Council, involving the expenditure of €3OO a month or £3OOO a year. The expenditure for the whole district of Canterbury would be thrown upon the city, which would havo to trust to a subsidy for the recouping of such expenditure. This ho would stoutly resist. [Hear, hear.] He did not think the Government, had taken the best method of dealing with the question. Such an institution could not be taken over in a hurry by a local body. They should bo able to see their way. The institution was a very large one, and had grown to what he would call outrageous dimensions in consequence of the liberality of the province. To ask a local body which had only a small share in it to take the whole responsibility showed that tho Government had not acted towards tho city as they ought to. Hints of what, they were going to do had been given certainly, bub the hints had been taken by the Council as a kind of joke. 'lt had never been seriously contemplated that Government would stop all aid to these institutions, and thus deprive destitute persons of relief at a moment's notice. He thought pome resolution dealing with the question should be passed by the Council.

Cr. Briggs suggested that tho town clerk should read the resolutions come to by the conference of Mayors and county chairmen.

The Clerk read the resolutions and the reply made to them by the Government, dated March 26th.

Cr. Bird thought the Government had loat sight of their letter of March 2(Jth. Cr. Briggs would move—" That the town clerk reply to Mr March's letter of June Blh, 1878, referring tho Government to the resolutions passed at the conference of Mayors and county chairmen on March 21st, 1878, which the Government quote in their letter of Mareli 26th, 1878, and further to state that the City Council decline the responsibility of taking charge of the administration of charitable aid. Also, to state that tho City Council regi'et that the Government has not taken steps to give effect to the resolutions passed by the conference of Mayors and county chairmen." He did not think it necessary to enter into a long argument in support of the resolution The letter just read would furnish all tho argument necessary. To say that the charitable aid would bo best administered by local bodies was only to utter a truism, but that the City Council was the best body to administer the aid was what no one who knew anything of municipal matters would believe. Nine out of ten cases of distress in the district found their way to the city,to the centre of population, because it was known that there the best chance of relief was to be found. The letter intimated that charitable aid had been previously administered in a lavish manner. That might or might not be true, but the Council was not the body to undertake the administration. The whole system would have to be remodelled, as the Council had neither funds nor officers for such a purpose. The Government told them that they agreed with the r< solutions come to by the conference, and then told them (the Council) that they must take the responsibility. As a representative of tho ratepayers, he for one would refuse to be dictated to by tho Government in that manner. He concluded by proposing his resolution. Cr. Pratt had much pleasure in seconding the resolution. The Government in referring to the resolutions passed at the conference eeemed to consider that they had nothing further to do in the matter—that the initiation or forming of the districts should be left to the conference then constituted. He apprehended that the conference had no idea of the kind. Having expressed their willingness to take the responsibility, it was for the Government to give effect to t hose resolutions, and not send a letter throwing the responsibility upon the municipalities. He thought the city had furnished five-sixths of tho subsidy. The Government had had opportunities for deducting from tho subsidy, and had availed themselves of these to the fullest extent, leaving the city £234 17s 8d out of £3092 14s 6d due from last, year.

Or. Bird gave hia full adhesion to the resolution. He con \ti ace no other course open to the Council.

Or. Euddenklau would support the resolution. It seemed to him a very peculiar arrangement that Government should say the Council must take the charitable aid over. Ho could see nothing in any Act empowering them to take such a responsibility. The Government should next session pass an Act, making arrangements for funds which the Council might expend for such a purpose. There was not the slightest doubt that in the future the Council would have to provide fundfl for charitable aid, which they would administer themselves or appoint a body to administer. The county and the neighboring public bodies were !o bs considered also. Ho thought an addition should bo made to the resolution of the words "'until such time as specific arrangements have been made as to providing funds." The Mayor thought they might introduce in the resolution the words " however much wo are of opinion that theso institutions should he managed by loo;;} bodies, vo decline io take the responsibility," They must take cure not to go against the resolutions they quoted. lie did not think (he conference thought they would have to maivigo the institutions, in the return alluded to by Mr March, (here were I'll distinct cases. The number for Christehureh alone was fifty-four and for Sydenham, thirteen. Now Sydenham was half the size of Christehureh, yet paid only ouc-fouith to Christehureh three-fourths The contribution of Sydenham should bo half that of Christehureh. If thoy subtracted the fifty four from the 141 it would leave ninety cases for the whole province. The city had 115,000 inhabitants, and the whole district of Canterbury 90,000, yet Christehureh was paying one-third of the whole cost for charitable aid and hospitals within the district. And the city had been doing this ever since the deductions from the subsidies h.-.d been made. The city would bo a great gainer by taking over the charitable aid if the subsidies were continued as premised by the Government. But he doubted that the subsidies would bo continued. The Government proposal meant a payment from the general revenue of 50 per cent move than at present. He could not believe that a Government who went in for economy would co! sent to this, Bid it stand to reason that it the ; i'y spent £BOOU on charitable aid and the Ik>ppi d, the Government would pay not only £BOOO but £[ooo more ■' Ho could not beii-ve it. Or. E'ifttt thought it very questionable that Parliament would sanction this. The Mayor said it; would bo done before Parliament mat. The Council must only continue to resist it; and make Government responsible for the distress which would be caused. Cr. liriggs would say a few words in reply to what had fallen from somo members of the

Council. It seemed to him somewhat strange that a loiter of sneh importance should emanate from a subordinate officer, instead of from, the Colonial Secretary. It was a very roundabout way of approaching such a subject. With reference to caecs of distress finding their way to Christchurch, that was proved by tho statistics just quoted by the Mayor. Christchurch had one-third of the whole number although its population was between one-sixth and one-seventh. Let it once be an established principle that municipalities were to dispense charitable aid throughout the whole provincial district, and it would soon be found that all the paupers resided within the boundaries of tho municipalities. Such an arrangement, would he a standing invitation for the distressed or indigent to leave the country districts and go where they knew that provision was made for relieving cafes of distress. He thought the Council could not do bettor thin throw all the responsibility oa the shoulders of the Government.

The Mayor then put the resolution, which was agreed to unanimously.

Cr. Pratt asked if tho Mayor had any information as to what had been done in other provinces.

The Mayor said that in Ot,ac;o, Wellington, and Auckland the hospitals are endowed. lie might tell them that the deduction from subsidies in Auckland last year was only £ISOO. The Auckland hospital was a splendid stone building, and no doubt its endowment would bo very valuable. The hospitals in the placet he had mentioned wire in a very different position therefore that of Christchurch. In Nelson a body he believed had been appointed to supervise the local institutions, but he thought it took no responsibility upon itself. It was only appointed to see that the expenditure was 'brought into a reasonable compass. No hospital was so badly off as that of Christchurch, which had not a shilling of endowment. The Government would have to wait till Parliament met before proposing some endowment for the hospital. Unless it was dono shortly ho was afraid that they would have to get their endowment in some other province, as there would be no land left in Canterbury. Cr. Pratt asked if it was not a reflection on the late Provincial Council that no endowment had been made for the hospital. The Mayor remarked that the municipality was no better off. In Auckland the endowment for the city would in 1879 or 1880 bring in a very large income. Cr. Pratt said that unfortunately there had always been an antagonism between the town and the country members, and the city had suffered in consequence. They had had to fight for even the smallest endowment. The last Provincial Government had lost, its position because it favoured the city. It had been turned out on that very question, lie could, therefore, understand why (.lie City Council had suffered in this particular, but he could not understand why the hospital—an institution of such necessity in a young colony—should have been left without an endowment, when neighbouring provinces which were not so well situated, and had oot a large extent of valuable country, h d provided endowments for their institutions. These were now reaping the benefit of their foresight, whilst all the proceeds derived from land in Canterbury were going to the North. The Mayor hoped that the public would be fully informed as to tho anxiety of Government to get rid of all responsibility and throw it upon the municipalities.

Or. Briggs said that at Wellington the subsidy from Government was for the last half-year £6920, and for the last year £10,30-4 (is 7d. The deduction on account cf tbe hospital, &c. was £lßll, leaving £8550 towards the works of the city. The subsidy for Christcharoh was nearly £BOOO from which all had been deducted except about £llOO.

After some further conversational discussion the meeting adjourned.