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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4977, 6 March 1877, Page 2

The annual meeting of the Wellington Benevolent Institution, which takes place this afternoon, is of more interest than many of its predecessors, A crisis has occurred in the history of the charitable institutions of the city; the old system has to a certain extent been swept away, and citizenslook to this association to advise and guide them as to what is to be done in the future. So far as the past is concerned Wellington in this matter at any rate has nothing <to be ashamed of, for the ‘figures we quoted yesterday show that while Canterbury, Otago, and Auckland spent their £9OOO, £6OOO, and £IOOO, respectively, in charitable aid during ,1876-76, Wellington’s expenditure reached Only £7OO ; but the figures are full of meaning for the future. They prove conclusively that any body of gentlemen undertaking the duties Of distributing aid should have their subject well in hand, and we are sure that if members of tire Benevolent Society do not shrink from accepting the responsibilities of taking over the whole management of charitable aid in the city, they can successfully cope with the probable evil of increasing pauperism. Of course were they to decide to do so, there must necessarily be some changes. It would be necessary to employ an inspector, whose business it should be to inquire into all cases brought before the Board and report before relief was administered, to see that recipients of relief complied with the regulations of the society, and that rations were not improperly disposed of.