CHARITABLE AND ADMINISTRATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10064, 4 February 1909, Page 4

CHARITABLE AND ADMINISTRATION.

(Pep. Pp.kss Association.) Auckland, February 3. ■ A deputation from ihe Auckland Hospit.:l and Charitable Aid Board on the Minister of Justice (Dr Findiay) todav to protest- against- the action of the Magistrate in committing to an industrial school at the expense of the Board children who had just arrived in the district from another district. Section 102 of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Actprovides that the cost of maintaining at an industrial school any child shall be borne by the Board of the district- where the committal is made.

Mr Knight (chairman of the Board) said that the case which they were about to put before the Minister iras a flagrant one. A destitute family had been sent- to Auckland from P.alclutha, and Mr Kettle, S.M., had committed the children to an industrial school, notwithstanding that an adjournment had been asked for in order that the southern board might- he c-om-munieated with. The whole family had been thrown entirely on the charity of Auckland —the children in the school, the mother in tbe hospital, and the father in iraol. Tt was not Tight that destitutes should be sent here from any place. The family should have been maintained in Balclutha. The cost to Auckland would total over £IOOO. From the decision c-f the magistrate, it appeared that there was no provision in the law to compel Bal:I;:tha. to maintain its own poor, and itwas felt tint the Act should be made to contain tbe necessary provision. The Board's officials did not close the doors of charitv a.'ainst any individual, even if he came "from the south. If they required relief the Hoard relived them, but why v.rre thev required l>v tho nui'-ristrates to .-upTwvt a family of six from another part of riie He hnpwl that tin.Minister v.v.uM fiave the Act nnieniU-'l. Mr M'Kay stated that dv.-titutc peoplewere iiHttinvr to Auckland. Dr Findiay : I.* the burden of your rate h- iviv-r than the rate in "th:-r parte? Mr Oariand : I do imt think it is heavier than in the south. Mr John.- asked for a- revi&ion of the A< t

.-o ;us t" make it mandatory. At present trie result w;\< to throw destitute peoplv in the lar,.» cctniv.«. irrespective of where their domi<-il'-.< were. The hardship was a Lie.it and ev« r-reeiirrinir on--. I>r Fin.ilav ivp!i..-l that the law in re_v.rd to charitable aid was a very difficult one t<> deal with. :t difficult one to de-vL-e. and a difficult one to improve. _ The question, with regard to residence, wa.- one? which he thought required to be t-til<d by legislation of some sort, fir ha«i n-'t found any definition in the Act as t" wh d "residence" meant, -ui exai t d. tlnition »i this miuht- «>vir the case. I: >ecrn»-d to him that if there was a deliberate by tne southern board. stited by the chairman, that av.as. t<» put it mildly, not fair. How vt r. th i* destitute class of people was uipsylike in its movements, and the >o-;-heni board mi_:ht raise the cry that some other board should bear the burden. The matter would be brought before tlie t I"Vei nrnent. and. it ne-essary. legislation ted.