The Globe. FRIDAY JUNE 28, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1364, 28 June 1878, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY JUNE 28, 1878.

The Conference of County Chairmen and Mayors oi Municipalities, which mot yesterday afternoon to discuss the present position of the Charitable Aid question, cannot ho said to have done much to forward the aims either of the Government pv those who object to their proposals. It can-iad two resolutions, as follow : That the Govsrpment be requested by the chairman to introduce the necessaiy measures in the next Parliament to ca*ry out the vi*ws of the last Conference with regard to the carrying on of Hospitals and Charitable that in the opipion of this meeting the 1 different loeal bodies tkwli ©ake provision

for the distribution of Charitable Aid a 8 a temporary measure until the Government give effect to the previoua resolution. Now, there can bo no possible objection to tho first of tho above resolutions. It is perfectly evident that legislation must take place before the resolutions of March last are carried into effect. These, as most of our readers are aware, were as follow:

That this Conference is of opinion that the following would be the basis upori which the hospitals and administration of Charitable Aid would be best managed, :—That it would be beet provided for by districts of Counties, with contiguous or included municipalities, which are likely to avail themselves of the same charitable institutions. That within such districts public charitable institutions should be administered, and Charitable Aid distributed by, a Board representing the Government, the several municipal bodies, and County Councils included therein. That such portion of the cost of these institutions, and of Charitable Aid as is rtqnired to be provided by local bodies, should be contributed by the several municipalities and Counties interested in proportion to their population These resolutions wero communicated to tho Government months ago, and they were pleased to express their approval of them. But there, till lately, the matter rested. If Government were satisfied with tho plan suggested, it was clearly their duty to take steps to have them carried into practical effect. As this can evidently only be done with tho assistance of the Legislature, common sense would indicate that the present plan should be carried on till the question had been submitted to Parliament. But the Government think otherwise. They affect to be astonished to find that no steps have been taken by the local bodies to carry the resolution into effect. Some of the speakers at yesterday's Conference were evidently of the same opinion. They seemed unable to understand the logical position taken up by the Christchurch City Council, and wore apparently laboring under the impression that the Government wero about to be placed in some great difficulty, and that it was absolutely necessary that they should come to the rescue. They could not, or would not, understand that the position was of the Government's own creation. Indeed one of the speakers (Mr. Booth) talked of the " temporary crisis" which had arisen, and of the necessity of endeavoring "to help the Government as far as they could." We therefore think that the second resolution carried at the Conference yesterday should have been difforently worded. Had it read " That in the opinion of this meeting the different local bodies should urge upon tho Government the continuation of the present mode of distributing charitable aid till the Government gave effect to tho previous resolution," we could have understood it. The resolution originally proposed by Mr. Booth was equally absurd—- " That the Mayors of Christchurch, Sydenham, Rangiora, and Kaiapoi, form a committee for making provision for tho dispensing of charitable aid temporarily." How could those gentlemen possibly have found time to attend to such a duty, and the Mayors of Christchurch and Rangiora very properly declined to undertake the responsibility. The Selwyn County Council to-day also carried the following ing resolution on the subject: — That this Council has fully considered the telegrams from the Colonial Secretary, of the 24th and 26:h irist., on the subject of Charitable Aid, that the Council adhers to the approval already given by it to the proposals of the Christchurch Conference on this subject, and believes they should be given effect to with as little delay as practicable, but that in its opinion this cannot effectually be done without the authority of Parliament. That to alter existing arrangements during the very short time that must elapse before the subject can be dealt with by Parliament would be unwise, and apt to lead to confusion. That this Council is without any machinery for discharging the duties it is aßked to undertake. That under the above circumstances it regrets it oannot accede to the proposals contained in the telegram from the Colonial Secretary, and is of opinion that until due provision is made by the Legislature for the introduction of a new system, the existing machinery should continue to be nsed. Of course if the Government continue to persist in their refusal to administer chai'itable aid after tomorrow something must bo done. The poor and the needy amongst us cannot be allowed to starve, simply because Ministers have a pet theory which they insist on carrying out, regardless of consequences, Indeed it might be well to get an expression of public opinion on the matter at once. His Worship might call a meeting, say to-morrow evening, for the purpose of laying the whole case before the citizens of Christchurch, and and obtaining their decision thereon.

But whatever is done, Government cannot be exonerated of blame. They are taking adA r antage of the charitable feelings of the public to force their own views on the community. They have not advanced a shadow of an argument in favor of the course they wish taken. There is no answer to the question why must the change be made on June 30 th, before the machinery approved of by both parties has been created? It is more than suspocted indeed that there is a very good reason for their anxiety, but it is not one which could be given at present. If honestly avowed, it might tend to damp the ardour of the local bodies in connection with this matter. It is the general belief, confirmed by the oracular utterances of the Wellington Government paper, that the subsidies to the local bodies will not last. The Mayor of Sydenham, at yesterday's meeting, expressed some indignation at the scepticism of the Mayor of Christchureh on the subject of the Government intentions. Mr. Booth considered that they had no right to impute motives to the Government. " They had letters, " he triumphantly exclaimed, " stating that the expenses would be paid, and they could not question the Government till they found it was not honest." Now, however much we may admire the charity, as well as simple and child-like faith of the Mayor of Sydenham in litis matter, we cannot credit him with a display of ordinary political wisdom. The future intentions of Ministers must be judged by their past actions; and what has the experience of the colony been ? A Ministry who can deliberately break not only their own promises, but an act of the Legislature, have not proved themselves worthy of implicit confidence.