WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH OUR OLD MEN?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 46, 26 February 1900, Page 3

WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH OUR OLD MEN?

A. MAGISTRATE'S OPINION. [PEE PBESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Tebruary 25. Recently, an old man was refused readmission to the Ohiro Home owing to his having been absent for a week without permission. He gave himself up to the police, and was charged with vagrancy, but as be was an old age pensioner Mr. Haselden, S.M., found some difficulty in dealing with the case, which "he allowed to stand over for a day or two, and made some casual remarks abcut the conduct of the authorities at the Home fur < spelling T he men. Oa the case comiog upngaio, he said : —" I have constantly to deal with eaEesin which thecnlycfler.coarejoverty and improvidence, or elsi tom.j small oflence Jiot fk t) be puoisl.ed by long imprison merit. Butvvetn the accused iiLd sttrvation there is nothing but gaol or the Ohiro Home. Hitherto I have understood that the Hon.e was available ; now an alteration has been made in the management, and I am met with a point-blank refusal to receive such cases. I repeat all that I said the other day: there is no attack upon anybody in it, but lam much mistaken if the Government and the public will tolerate the throwing into prison or the street of old men and women who arp not criminals. I pointed out that if the Ohiro Home was of too high a class for these cases, we must have one of a lower grade, but we must have some place, I differ with the rev. member of the Trustees who thinks that gaol will do no harm to an old man or woman who has i broken some rule of the Home, and is turned out in consequence. Some good may arise out of this case by calling ; members' attention to the urgent ; necessity for a refuge of a lower class t than that aspired toby the Ohiro Home 5 under the new regime.