COROMANDEL-THAMES DISTRICT CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 137, 16 January 1886, Page 7

COROMANDEL-THAMES DISTRICT CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

+ The regular meeting of the above was held at the Board-rooms, Thames on Tuesday afternoon. Present : Messrs Renshaw (chairman), Walsh, Smith, Greenville, and J. D. Colebroolc. Minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed. Ladies' Benevolent Society. — The Secretary of Hauraki Ladies Benevolent Society (Mrs E. Honiss) wrote to the effect that it had been resolved that the sum standing to to the Society's credit should be paid to the Board's account. A balance-sheet forwarded, showing" the receipts for the year to have been £184 Oa 4d, including £54 5s 6d carried forward from the previous year, £130 6s Id, had beeft expe ided in relief, •a balance of £80 7s 2d being now on ha d. Orphanage. — The manager of the Thames Orphanage, presented a report, showing that the total cost of food per week was 2s 7|d for each inmate, and the expense of clothing was Is per week each. The cost of maintaining the Orphanage, exclusive of repairs to the building, was about £400 per annum. Towards this, £94 10s wasJJ payable by the fi iends of the children, £70 was required from the Board to make up the deficiency. Old Men's Home. — With reference to the claim of £2? from the ftospital Committee for the. maintenance of the Old Men\s Home,. Mr Greenville strenuously opposed the pacing of the account as the institution belonged to the Board, aim there were conveniences piovided which should enahle the old men to conk tlM'ir own food, while the washing could bo ({one by the indigent women receiving aid from tiie Board. He moved " That the Hospital Committee be pm \ at the rate of 5s 9d per week per urnate (the cost of food) up to tde present date, a-id that the Bjitrd should attend to future management " Tne motion was not seconded. It was tiimliy decided tuat the amount s ! iould be pai 1, Messrs Walsh and Greenville voting in opposition. It was resolved on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Colebroolc, that the Hospital Committee be requested to continue the management of the Home pending further arrangements. Meetings. — It was agreed that the regular meetings should iv future be held at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday in each month. Accounts. — Accounts amounting to £140 15s 10d were authorised for pay Ultillt. Coromandel Representation, — Mr Colebrouk requested that notice of intended meetings should be given to eacli memuer of the Coromandel County Council. By the Act the whole Council was entitled to sit. It might not thvays be convenient for him (Mr Colebrook) to attend, and he did not wish «ny of his colleagues who might come in his stead to be told that they I were not delegates. It was resolved that the guidance of ! the Government should be sought on the subject. Mr Twenty man's tender for funerals at £2 15s 6d each interment, was accepted. Orphanage Control. — The Chairman stated the result of the conference with the Orphanage Committee, at which the ladies agreed to continue'in existence as a sub-committee if requested to do so by the Board. j Mr Colebrook thought the Board should be very grateful to the ladies for their offer. At the request of Mr Greenville the consideration of the matter was deferred until his notice of motion should be discussed. Extraneous ■ Aid. — - Mr Greenville moved the following resolution, of- which he had given notice— "That the Secretary be instructed to write to Government contradicting the statements made in the telegram of lOtti November, and informing Government that this Board is quite prepaied to carry out the duties of its office without any outside assistance." His reason for moving this resolution was that he had found iv the tflegraiii book a message as follows :—: — •' Thames, K th-Noveuiber.

IK *H. G^valt. Can Hospital Boanl bv bye 1 law m liM'S"i'tiou 62 nub section 9, delegate iis power •» to or constitute a cm mi nee of Indies to .owe entire control an ! supennten Luice of such cli u itabh) institutions us HuuI raki badies Benevolent, Society, the Lying in Hospital for poor worn .11, and tl;e Orphanage. Tiio meioluMd of tin* i Board (foui gentlemen) are not, at all suitable to undprtake such duties i Board's solicitor is not clear on the point. Please inform nia beioie meeting of .Board on Tuesday." Mr Dean, then acting as secretary, had informed him tunt he had written the telegram, according" to the Chairman's instiuo tions. Whoever was the author the was certainly most unfair to the .Board. He objected to calling in outside assistance. With all respect to the fair sex, he did not consider that ladies Tore , in their proper place in public bodies. With the assistance of the master and matron the Board could manage the Orphanage affairs well enough. He was grateful t > the ladies for their past services, but thought that the Board shrul 1 at once enter upon its duties. If not, he, for one, would tender his resignation. The Chairman said he authorised the sending of the message, though he had not personally superintended its being written. The telegram had merely been sent for the purpose of eliciting information, and it coutained no aspersion upon the members of the Board further than acknowledgment that men were not as capable of attending to certain matters as ladies would be. As a matter of fact the Board had already faced its duties. If the charitable affairs ot all parts of the colony had been managed as well as the ladies of the Thames had done their part, there would have been no necessity for the present Act, and this, being so, it was only right to ask the ladies for their continued assistance. Mr Colebrook warmly expressed bis confidence that the ladies' assistance would be most serviceable to the institution. Mr Smith thought the Chairman's explantion had set matters right, though at first he (the speaker) had felt somewhat insulted by the telegram* rie suggested that Mr Green vdle should withdraw the last sentence in his resolution k Mr Greenville said he had yet to learn that the ladies' services, though rendered with the best motives, were of such utility as was represented. He was satisfied that the writer of the telegram had intended to deprive the Board of its power over the institution. *The resolution was put and negatived by 3 to 2. Mr Greenville said he would accept the telegram as it was worded, and would decline to act upon any committee with the ladies. Instructions were given to the Secretary to write to the Ladies' Gommitto?, respectfully asking them to continue to ijfivfi their assistance in the oversight ami maintenance of fhe Orphanage. Orphanage Funds. — Mr Greenville moved v Tint Mr Miller be instructed to take iniiue>iute proceedings against ti.e Into Orphan ire Committee for th > recoveiy of all moneys illegally held by them." The Gonn.uttee in question si ill Held more than £201 and he considered that the Board Had been treated with great disrespect on all sides. Alter considerable discussion Mr (ireenvllie withdrew his motion, and Mr Smith gave notice that he would move in similar terms at next meeting if tne money snould not in the meantime be paid. The Board adjourned until the second Tuesday m Februa.ry k