Our Poor.

Manawatu Herald, 18 April 1893, Page 3

Our Poor.

v * The Eov. H. Van Staveren incidentally related some of his experiences of the past month in the administration of charitable aid at the Benevolent Society Trustees' last meeting says the Post. The stalwart head of one large family to which the Society issues rations — -a labourer who alternates work with spells in gaol for drunkenness, Achas been following Mr Van Staveren about, offering to fight him. He told the Chairman of the Trustees he would be always willing to iight him, and on that gentleman , telling

him he would be sent to gaol again if he did not work and support his family i said— " Sha.il j shaii's 'egood's ome ; I know it all over" ! ' The poor little wife of this hulking fellow appeared, and said llor family must starve if they were not assisted, and it Was decided to continue ratiorisi In another case a woman receiving rations went to the wrong butcher's shop. "I want the - — i meat of the Benevolent In- ■ stitution," she said to the shopman, Who tokHier she was in the wrong place. Whereupon 1 side gttidj '"' These Trustees seem to think I'm going to trot all over the town after their rations. They've a right to aeud them to the house." Another man, who, the Chairman said, went in and out of gaol and left his wife and nine small children on the rates Was an expert barber who could easily earn- £4 a week if he kept sober. He was now in gaol, and his Wife had just been confined and asked for help for her starving family. The Chairman said the wife was a good woman but the husband a drunkard. If he got half-a-crown he would spend two shilling of it in beer for himself, and take a pint of it home, forcing the wife to drink it, while threatening to disembowel her with a razior flourished in his hand if she did not gulp it down afc once. Like the other fellow, he could always get money for drink but could get nothing to feed his children.