The Charitable Aid Bill.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 382, 6 July 1889, Page 6

The Charitable Aid Bill.

' <■ Wellington, July ' 2. Tub most striking feature in the Charitable Aid Bill is the fact that by it the Government give no outdoor relief. L They only give relief to bhose in the 'Hospitals and Refuges. This, if passed, will •: I affect Auckland more, perhaps, than any,' other ' place in , the colony -Mr . Goldie, as a member of' the Charitable Aid Board, recognises this, and witli a views' ' to preparing to lesist the Government on the point, he has telegraphed as follows to Mr Garland, Secretary of the Board : , » " What is the annual. cost of outdoor relief compared with the cost ol refuge*?' The Government don't propose any subsidy to the former." The .matter is one of very „ grave importance, and is a serious blemish ( on the Bill. The " Press" on-Saturdayhad a very sensible leader .on, the. Bill, in which it expressed fetrong opinions diametrically opposed to this and other clauses of the Bill. It says that if the ' Bill passes into law it means instant and / almost absolute stoppage of all outdoor " , relief. It goes on :—": — " It will be naturally, " ! • asked —What, then, becomes of a large, class who are now absolutely provided ior .' by ratepayers and out'of the colonial funds ? ' ■ The description of categories 2 and 3 shows L clearly that they aro only to a small-extents .':j there provided ior.. The last categoiy gives ,-, v a clue to this (destitute and orphans'). The" / Bill provides that there shall be • State ?\ ' refuges,' and into these shall go * all adult--'^' persons noL suffering from contagious d.is-v?']*' ease, who are drunkards, idlers oiv.'v tramps who, or whooe families ar&, "or- "'" are likely to become, a burden" ori, * local charities for an undefinite time.' Here, then, we have the key to the scheme v for dealing with the question of -'chari- "'" ' table aid.' The Government practically say this: " We intend at one blow to putan end to all out-door relief. With this view we will, take off your hands all the bad cases — tramps, drunkards, and idlers— =if „ local authorities will provide tor other cases of necessity in homes,' We set for a moment apart a fact that by taking away ' idlers ', and.' drunkards ' the Government ' ' have not provided for the . wives and families of these ' bad cases.' We want ' to look 'broadly at the scheme. Have the Government at all realised what it would mean if a system^ of outdoor' relief was thus suddenly stopped? AgKee- ' . ing as we do most sincerely in the desire to abolish outdoor relief, and knowing' 3as we do that it is most dangerous in it& tendency to keep alive and increase -pauperism,, jwe canuot travel to this goal with the" sudden 1 -• rapidity with \*bich,the Government', in- / vite the colony to rush. It is- a bold dash ;'• a courageous sfcroke at dragoon pauperism. ' * .It is admirable^ rb"t •' it „is not practicable, nor r is it in itself unstained by ' . a very serious blot. We give every possible, credit to Dr. MacGregor, but it he multiplied , himself • into a regiment, or called all the Clan MacGregor to his aid we do "• not think he could resist the enormous • manufacture ot ' tramps,' ' idlers ' and 'drunkards.' By controlling councils out of their ordinary power the inducement to local authorities to hand their power over to ' the State would be overwhelming, and Dr. '' MacGregor's life would be a burden to him. , , As for destitute children, we fear that even' „ the ' Pirates of Penzance* ' would find their r experiences quite dwarfed and out-num-bered by the orphans that would "be discovered in country districts. -We. 1 ' do most heartily wish that the Govern- < , ment had been le.=s ambitious in, their scheme, and had attempted reform*without revolution. The, Bill contains •' most excellent and wise proposals." In conclusion, the " Press " advocates Govern- «- ment turning the measure into' a- reforming and remedial measure. Certainly in its present form it is hardly likely to pass with the approval of the House. ,--- t _ t