THE GLOBE. MONDAY, MAY 9, 1881. CHARITABLE AID.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2245, 9 May 1881, Page 2

THE GLOBE. MONDAY, MAY 9, 1881. CHARITABLE AID.

The administration of charitable aid, as a work of necessity, is one of the most difficult questions that occurs to the Legislature of any country, and consequently there is always great difficulty in establishing it on a satisfactory basis. This remark applies with considerable force to the colony at the present time, when our charitable institutions may be said to occupy a transitory position, between " what is " and " what is to be," in the light of future legislation. In the old provincial days, each particular division of the colony managed itsown internal affairs, and thus in regard to charitable aid, an well as other matters of local government, the charm of variety was apparent in the different modes of administration. On the abolition of Provincialism, however, there were introduced laws of a consolidating character, which imparted a certain uniformity to most of our public institutions ; but tho important item of charitable aid was not included in such general legislation, and remains yet to be dealt with as a colonial question. In this the Government and tho House have a work before them of very considerable difficulty, and tho fulfilment of the promises made by tho present Government on this head will bo looked forward to with great interest. There can be no doubt that the present arrangements are very unsatisfactory, a fact which applies to Christchurch with greater force, perhaps, than to any other large centre of population in the colony. This is not hard to account for, and may at onco bo traced to the superior wealth of tho Canterbury Province under the old form of Government. Money was

plentiful in those days, and it was expended liberally, not to say luxuriously, the result being hurtful to the community as a whole. The records of charitable aid administration in Christchurch show an amount of careless, not to say wasteful, expenditure of public money devoted to that purpose which is quite appalling, and although a large amount of retrenchment has been effected the fact remains that, whereas Canterbury is popularly supposed to be the most free from actual poverty of any town in the colony, yet there is a larger amount of charitable aid distributed here than in any of the other towns. On several occasions evidence of this has been adduced at meetings of the local Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and at last meeting of that body, the chairman (Mr. Thomson) gave expression to an opinion coincident with what we have | stated to be the case. Thus tho work of the Board, in the altered position of the colony, financially, has become more and more difficult, and there can be little doubt that the Board will look forward to future legislation with more than ordinary interest In the meantime the administration of charitable aid is a largo question which demands immediate attention at the hands of the Government, and should no longer be deferred. We hope to see a comprehensive measure dealing with it brought down during the forthcoming session of Parliament.

" BY HIS WORK HE SHALL BE JUDGED." When Dr. Skae sent in his report on tho inquiry into the Christchurch Hospital we took occasion to point out very plainly that that gentleman did not appear to have a very clear idea of the duties of his office as a Commissioner. In effect, we said, what was perfectly evident to every conscientious reasoning mind, that Dr. Skae must have been led away by professional feeling, or other influences less worthy, to give tho decision which ho did give ; that, in fact, his verdict was in direct opposition to the weight of evidence elicited at the inquiry. Later on, when the Government supported Dr. Skae in his action, we pointed out that perhaps the Government made the best of a bad bargain in doing so, because they clearly could not fall in with the public condemnation of their officer's conduct and at the same time retain his services. But this question has now assumed a more serious tone from the disgraceful disl closures made in connection with the late Lunatic Asylum inqniry in Welli.igton. We speak on this subject with perfect freedom, because whatever the Inspector may say in his report to the Government cannot in the least alter the case as it affects himself. He had, in fact, every opportunity of clearing himself from the grossest imputations of dereliction of duty when under examination at the inquiry; but he signally failed to clear himself in any way. Now, the question arises, whether the facts elicited at th* inquiry in question do not point to the conclusion that Dr. Skae is not a reliable man; and if such an inference may be fairly deduced from such facts, should the argument not be retrospective, and be made to bear upon other important official acts of that gentleman within a comparatively short period of time ? We decidedly think so, and would say here at once that Dr. Skae's report on the local hospital affairs is a decidedly colorable document, and ought to have no weight whatever. Further, the Government, if they find Dr, Skae " guilty " which they can scarcely help doing, in the face of most glaring facts, whatever his studied defence may be—then they ought to be gracious enough to toll the medical gentlemen of Christchurch who are reflected on in Dr. Skae's report, that they are exonerated, so far as that report is concerned, from all blame whatsoover. THE OENBUS. The Tit.e Barnacle principle of "How-not-to-do-it " seems to enter very largely into all matters of an official character in this colony. One of the latest evidences of this peculiar fact is afforded by tho ma' ner in whioh the last census has been taken in Christchurch. Without wishing to be at all personal, or to call in question the capabilities of any particular official, wa may say, in a general way, that the Government do not appear to have put themselves out of the way t 9 get the best value for their money, and the consequence hat been a large amount of lost time, and the expenditure of sufficient red tape to supply, under ordinary circumstances, a half dozen public departments. Moat of tho other towns in the colony have sent in their returns, and Gh.ri3tch.uroh hug not yet given any sign. One of tho blunders made was in the division of tho labor among the different districts, owing to a stupid plan of dividing tho areaß without takiag into account the extent of population—so that one subonumer»tor in a populous locality is of necessity far behind another which is sparsely inhabited. Tho same delays and mistakes that ore occurring now, transpired when the previous census was taken, and they are Bimply due to the fact that, as stated above, the department does not, in the first place, take into consideration tho competence of tho men appointed to take supremo oharge of the work.