The Globe. THURSDAY, JULY 11, 1878.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1374, 11 July 1878, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, JULY 11, 1878.

During the recent correspondence as to the administration of charitable aid, which has passed between the Government and the local bodies, the efficiency of the system in force in Otago was often referred to. In Dunedin,” said the Colonial Secretary in his letter to the Mayor of Christchurch, “ the system of charitable aid is administered without cost to the colony, and in a most efficient manner.” The extravagance of Canterbury in expending so much on charitable aid was duly commented on. It was pointed out that with a less population than Auckland and Dunedin, the two towns quoted, Christchurch had expended a very much large sum. These facts were quoted to strengthen the position taken up by the Government that the localities should take over the management of these institutions, and work them on the same principle as Dunedin. There they are managed by a committee of the subscribers who pay the expenses. The Mayor and City Council of Christchurch as is known wore not to be thus saddled with a responsibility, tbo extent of which they did not know, even when twitted with their inferiority to Dunedin iu the matter of conducting these institutions. Strange to say, however, about the time that Ministers wore writing to the City Council hero lauding the perfectness of the arrangements iu Dunedin, and comparing their economy and efficiency with the large sums spent hero, a case occurred which appears to suggest a doubt whether this much boasted management is so good as the Government wish to make out. It is one in which a child less than a year old had to ho committed to the Industrial School, because the belauded Otago system did not provide for relief being given to it iu any other way. We quote the case from the Otago journal, so that our readers may form an accurate idea of the scheme of charitable aid in Otago which has been paraded before improvident Canterbury as a model. The Otago Witness of July Ist, says:—

At the Dunedin City Police Court on the Ist instant, Mary Lloyd, a child of eight months, was brought before the Bench. The constable stated the father of the child was the notorious fishmonger of Caversham, Lloyd, who was now undergoing one month’s imprisonment for assaulting the police. The mother was confined yesterday while the cab was waiting at the door to take her to the hospital, and as the child was left in the hut, he had brought her to the Court for disposal, as they would not take her in with her mother. The Bench asked Inspector Mallard what he suggested should be done with the child. Inspector Mallard would like to ask that it be sent to the Industrial School, only that he knew that it would be wrong to do so, as Mr Titchener could not take in infants, and ho know that Mr Watt, E.M., had received instructions not to commit infants there. He could not leave the child in the hut, and so had brought it to Court for disposal. The Bench wished to know if the benevolent institution would not take the child in ? Inspector Mallard said they would not. He had tried that before in a similar case. Of course, whatever the Bench ordered he would have to see carried out. The Bench stated they would order the child to be sent to the Industrial School until the mother came out of the Hospital Inspector Mallard would refer their Worships to the Act, which did not permit them to commit for a less period than twelve months. The Bench inquired if the mother could not do anything for the child. Inspector Mallard said could not. Both her children were illegitimate, and their father was a notorious character now undergoing imprisonment. The Bench decided to commit the child to the Industrial School for twelve months. Inspector Mallard said it was necessary in the commitment to state in what religious persuasion the child was to be brought up. In the present instance the mother was a Roman Catholic and the father a Protestant, He

had reason to believe the child had been baptised in the Roman Catholic faith. Their Worships thought it ridiculous to talk about the religious educaton of a child of eight months. If the Roman Catholics wee so particular about the religious welfare of the child they thought it would be better if a little attention were given to its temporal wants. Inspector Mallard said they had no institution for such cases. The Bench said the child would be committed to the Industrial School for twelve months, to be brought up in the Roman Catholic faith, and the mother could obtain her on application after coming out of the Hospital, inspector Mallard said Mr Titchener would only be too glad to renounce the charge. It is scarcely consistent with the praise given by Ministers to the Dunedin administration of charitable aid that it should be necessary to commit a child of such an age to an Industrial School, That is, the unfortunate little infant, whoso only crime was poverty, had to bo sent to grow up amongst the depraved and criminal of Dunedin. Hero wo see, with all their boasted superiority over Canterbury, that the only way they can deal with an infant, is to send it to a Reformatory where thieves and larrikins undergo a course of discipline to render them docent members of society. Was this a fit place to send a child like this to ? Its future life would have upon it a stain of criminal association, resulting, not from any guilt of its own, but from the want, in a city like Dunedin, of any provision to meet such cases. Money may have been wasted in Canterbury in the diretion of affording relief, as attempted to be proved by Ministers. We do not say that it has been so; but, oven if it were, it is far bettor to err on the side of humanity than to have such a case as the one we have referred to happening in our midst. At least, if we are chargeable with imprudence, wo cannot ho with neglect. But the case referred to above is not the only ono in which the much-vaunted Otago system has failed. Only a short time back our telegrams informed us that a case had come before the magistrates of a poor old man, whose working days were past, and who was in every respect a fit subject for admission to the Benevolent Asylum, but who had boon refused admission on the ground of there being insufficient room. Hero again the system failed, and there was no other course but to treat the poor old man as a vagrant, and lock him up in gaol to enable him to subsist. Again, we hear of a poor woman slowly, but surely, dying of starvation, almost in the midst of the populous and the wealthy city of Dunedin. Wo do not quote these instances in the spirit of selflaudation, but rather to show that, if wo have spent a large sum of money in charitable aid, at least we have been spared such distressing cases as those we have quoted above. It proves most conclusively, also, that the system under which such cases could take place must be far from efficient, and that, in the interests of humanity, a change is necessary. “ Look,” say Ministers, “at Otago, where distress is relieved at no cost to the colony,” and the inference is that they would desire Canterbury to do the same. So long as the Government could get rid of the responsibility they were satisfied, and the pertinacity with which they stuck to their text, and only gave way at the last moment, shows this to have been the case.

In consequence of an informality in tlie recent election of City Auditors, the ratepayers will have an opportunity tomorrow of re-considering their previous verdict. With the result of the first election, few, we should imagine, who take any interest in municipal matters were satisfied. At the time, we called attention to the unsatisfactory state of the law, which permits any person, whatever his qualification, to offer himself for election. We pointed out that a man may be a very estimable citizen, and consequently enjoy a certain amount of popularity, but be at the same time totally unfit for the position of auditor of public accounts. We showed that such a position was one of great responsibility and and importance, and should be filled by none but those who were thoroughly qualified. Wo contended that the office, being created by an Act of the Legislature should only bo filled by gentlemen having an official guarantee of competency. What we said on that occasion called forth a reply from Mr. Henderson, the candidate who was placed at the head of the poll. He characterised our remarks as a “cowardly” and “ uncalled for ” attack upon himself. Because the article tended to show that the citizens might have made a wiser choice, had they not returned Mr, Henderson, ho charges us -with having “ ulterior motives ” in commenting as wo did on the result of the election. The publication of Mr. Henderson’s letter must have convinced the ratepayers that our judgment was a correct one, and that it is a fortunate thing for the city that it has been found necessary to hold a fresh election. * We hope the ratepayers to-morrow will not omit, as a body, to record their votes. If they come to the poll in any numbers wo feel sure the verdict of the last election will bo altered, and that the two gentlemen returned will not only be a credit to the city, but have at the same time an official guarantee of competency.