BENEVOLENT AID ASSOCIATION.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2052, 21 September 1880, Page 4

BENEVOLENT AID ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the committee ana subscribers to the above was held subsequent to the committee meeting at the City Council Chambers. Present: His Worship the Mayor (in the chair), Bevs, H. O. M. Watson and 33. A. Lingard, Messrs. OUivier, H. W. Packer, Morton, Pratt, H. Thomson, Hobday, W. B. Mitchell (bon. sac.), and J. E. March. The Mayor said the meeting had been called to consider the question of tie continuance or otherwise of the operations of the association, or whether it should exist in a modified form. For the purpose of enabling those present to form an opinion on the subject the secretary would read the report agreed upon by the committee. Mr W. E. Mitchell (hon. see.) read the following report:— Before the final close of the operations of the Benevolent Association, your committee deem it necessary to submit a report of their transactions with a view to enable the subscribers to arrive at a eolation of the important question of future operations. It may be remarked that while a very large amount of relief has been -applied for and granted, there has been without doubt several cases in which probably relief has been administered to perhaps unworthy recipients, it must nevertheless be remembered that most valuable and timely aid has been given to a far larger number of truly deserving people, without which most serious results might have followed. The aid thus given by your conmittee has certainly prevented the inevitab.e burden upon the local bodies of many serious cases, the recipients of which have been thus saved the worst of all evils —a species of State pauperism. Your committee have had several gratifying evidences of the great benefit resulting from the private aid they have been enabled to bestow, in the form of grateful acknowledgements for their work. The number of reliefs granted have been 893, to 419 persons, of which 419 were upon the first application, 216 upon the second, 112 upon the third, 79 upon the 4th, 45 upon the fifth, 12 upon the sixth, 6 upon the seventh, 3 the eighth, Mid 1 the ninth, whilst upon a careful estimate over 1500 children have derived valuable assistance from the association. There has been issued from the depot the following articles of food, clothing, and fuel—Coals, 512 bags; flannel, 1365 yards ; blankets, 219 pairs ; boots, 334 pairs ; oatmeal, 5181ba.; sago, 50ulbs.; potatoes, 305 bags; calico 383 yards; blankets. 81 single; rice, SOUbs.; flour, 4851b5. ; flannel petticoats, 36 ; besides a large quantity of new and second band clothing, underliuen, and children’s goods. At the soup kitchen there has been daily supplied to all comers a bountiful meal of good wholesome soap, with bread, and to those families who have sent utensils they have had them returned full for consumption at home. The average daily number of the poor for this boon has been 108, all of whom have bean most thankful and grateful for the supply. The contributions in money have amounted to JJS2O, and in addition to this the Committee have received most valuable help in hind from a large number of benevolent people, -whose names are too numerous to mention. The Committee, however, cannot here overlook ike exceedingly charitable and kind help they have obtained from Mr Kosowarne, whose personal gifts and attendance upon the food branch of their operations has been unremitting, and to Messrs Culliford, Hopkins and Co., Langdown and Judge, and Hall and Couzaas, for a continuous supply of meat for the soup. The committee also feel that it is due to Mrs Innea to state that they have been under very great obligations to that lady for her untiring energy and almost daily attendance in superintending the relief they have able to grant, especially in dealing with and visiting cases of distress amongst women and children. The total amount of liabilities of tie Association ia estimated at £65, which your committee now earnestly appeal to the public for pecuniary aid lo enable them to -defray. Believing that the operations of the Association have been most valuable daring a season of unparalleled adversity, it _ now becomes a question for the subscribers and the public to determine whether the organisation of the society should altogether cease or whether some modified system might not be de■vised by which their operations should be continued to aid in cases of sickness and to widows sad orphans who will yet stand in need of help until the restoration of prosperity shall render it no longer necessary. It is a recommendation of this committee that the sonp kitchen be closed at the end of the present month, but there ore still ninety-four deserving cases where relief would prove more valuable, and where nothing but the most abject poverty exists, and these consist of forty-seven widows with families, twenty-four wives who have been deserted by their husbands, and twenty-three where, either through accident, insanity or illness of the husband all provision for the family baa been denied them. If it should prove, as we confidently hope it may, that with the return of summer and better times a oontinnonca of the operations of the association should not he needed, it conld then be closed, hat it would be difficult to revive a society, the •working arrangements of which have been so perfect, if it was allowed to decay immediately. In conclusion, your committee have to state that the figures quoted in the above report are made up to and inclusive of Tuesday, the 14th instant. W. E. Mitchell, Hon. Sec. The Secretary said that two donations of £lO each had been received from Messrs George Gould and E. O. J. Stevens, reducing the liability by £2O. Bav. H. O. M. Watson moved the adoption of the report, and spoke of the good done by the society. He thought, therefore, that the association should not altogether cease, bat should be established in a modified form and on a sound basis. Another thing that required to be done was that there should be a line of definition between the cases relieved by the society and by the Charitable Aid Board. He thought that the best method would be to call a public meeting to establish on association on a modified basis.

Mr Hobday seconded the motion. He thought that there was a very strong argument in the report against the entire winding up of the association when it was stated that there were ninety-four cases of absolute distress. He took it that they would have the poor always with them, and, therefore, the necessity for such an institution would remain. He desired to add his testimony to that of Bey. Mr Watson as to the good done tjy the association. The report was adopted. The Mayor said that an urgent appeal had been made to the benevolent, but had been hat poorly responded to. Mr Ollivier said they had before them the reaumi of four months’ work, during which time great good bad been done to tho Oity of ■ Christchurch and the suburbs ; yet, while this was the case, they had had to como before the public and say they must either close up the Association in debt, or that the public -most rouse themselves from their apathy and help them. He thought it would be a very great pity that such an institution should cease now that they had worked so well and so harmoniously together, when they had discovered the method to deal with the cases brought before them. He did not know whether it would be the best mode to get up a series of entertainments or a carnival to cover the debit and give them something to go on with. He must say that it was a most disheartening and discreditable state of things to see that there was not that day preaont one single person outside the committee to hear what had been done, or what was intended to he done. He had hoped to see that room crowded with earnest-minded and enthusiastic persons wishful to help the committee to meet the debit, and to co-operate with them in the future. Ho could not have the heart to propose any method, for the apathy and disregard of the public bad thoroughly disgusted him. Mr Hobday thought that the apathy of tho public had arisen from an idea that tho charitable aid department had a right to deal with matters affecting the relief of the poor. He would like to make a suggestion that as the association had relieved the clergy of a large amount of their work, they might appeal to the clergy to preach a series of charity sermons in aid of the funds of tho association, when no doubt tho public would give cheerfully. If this -were not done, then ho would suggest that an appeal for annual -subscriptions towards the association should bo made to tho merchants, tradesmen, and lawyers. The Mayor said that as regarded the idea at appealing to tho clergy it did not seem to bo -of much use, as only two gentlemen were there that day as representatives of all the clergy in the place. Ho must say he was, like his friend Mr Ollivier, disheartened at the want of sympathy shown by the public. Mr H. Thomson apologised for the absence of Bev. Mr Fiavoll. Ho thought that the best method of dealing with the question was to adjourn it for a while, and see whether the public would come forward. The whole root cf the apathy was the blight of Government charity. If charitable aid from the Government was dona away with, then there would bo an opportunity of private charity being exercised. Six months hence the municipal subsidies would cease from which tho charitable aid had to be paid, and then what •would be done with the poverty and distress which existed. The whole blight arose from

the eystem of Government aid, which people had got to believe they were entitled to, Ha would move that the meeting should aljonrc, as they could really now do nothing. Rev. Mr Lingard would second the moticn. Ha thought that the committee could not stand up and move resolutions on a report of their own. Perhaps the result of that meeting would tend to arouse the public from the apathy which now seemed to bo their state. He desired to point out that the clergy had been refused to be taken into the councils of the Association, and further than this, ho wished to say that the churches were not doing their duty. In St. Luke’s they had since Easter disbursed £75 from their offertories for the poor, whilst in St. John’s and St. Michael’s he believed that not one offertory for the poor was taken up throughout the year. He might say that he should be willing to do all he could to assist the association, but he would like to see the clergy allowed to take their share of the work, and not bo told that they were unfitted to recommend cases for relief. As regarded the Charitable Aid Department, he thought this was the ratepayers’ money, and that they would find the loss of it severely if it were done away with. Mr Mitchell spoke strongly on the great distress which had come under his notice, and said that when the association was first started it was understood that it would be temporary. If they were going to keep the society on as a permanent society, then it was necessary that some basis should be formed upon which to go. In Australia they had got tHeir hospitals and charitable aid dispensaries by the Government giving £1 for every £1 contributed. He thought that it was not necessary for the Benevolent Aid Association and the Charitable Aid Department to exist together. There was no reason at all why the Benevolent Aid Association should not take up the work of the Charitable Aid Board. So far as the adjournment of the meeting went, he did not think that it would have the effect they thought it would. They had £45 to make up, and he for one thought that it was not the duty of the committee to go round and ask for subscriptions. Mr OUivier suggested that the resolution should read as follows:—“That this meeting bo adjourned until Monday, the 27th inst., at three o’clock, for the purpose of considering the propriety of continuing the Benevolent Association until the ensuing winter, to enable relief to be given to the cases now on its books and which are still ia need.” Ho might also suggest that application should be made to the Government for say 10s in the £ contribution, on the basis of the amount of money distributed by it. If this were done they might get the grant, which would enable them to carry on to the next winter. The time would come when they might consider whether the Charitable Aid Department could not be absorbed into the association for the city and suburbs. With regard to the subject of continuance, he thought they should give the public another chance of attending after reading the expression of their feelings that day. Ur Thomsftn would accept the resolution of Mr Ollivier. After some further remarks from the Bev, E. A. Lingard, Messrs Ollivier, Thomson, Packer, and Hobday, the motion was put and carried, and the proceedings terminated.