S.C. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2110, 11 October 1890, Page 3

S.C. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Hospital and CharHtoble Aid Board was held today. Present. —Messrs J. Jackson (chairman), D, McLaren, J. Sinclair, iVI Quinn, D, M. Eoss, E. A. Barker, and Dr Hogg. . An apology was received from Major Moore.

A widow from Geraldine, waited on the board to ask for further charitable aid. She had eight children the eldest a girl of 14 is now at service at 4s a week, the whole of which was needed to keep her in clothes; the next \vas twelve. She was receiving 80 rations a months, in value £1 13s 4d. Until lately she had cleaning to do at [£ls 10s a year, but had lost that owing to it being given to a lower tenderer. She asked far an allowance for rent (she pays 10s a month) and firing. She concluded “ if you don’t assist me I will take them to the magistrate and give them up to him, and you will have to pay 6s a week for every one of them.

The chairman: Don’t use any threats. Are you not the children’s mother ?

She; lam their mother, and I want to keep them, but I cannot keep them half starved. Yon pay 6s a week for an orphan child, and I would ask for some further assistance.

The chairman said the board would take her request into consideration and after she had retired, said thftt giving 6s a head for boarding had unsettled a great many such parents. Mr Darker: But those we put out are destitute children, that is the difference. The chairman; Will you make any alteration in this case ? It will go right through th® district if you do. Mr McLaren : I should not. Mr Sinclair; The rations are often a very small pittance for each child. The chairman : It is not expected to keep them ; it is only for assistance. Mr Sinclair*. But in many cases—this one for instance—here is a widow who can do nothing; it must take nearly all her time tq look after the phildyep. Mr Boss said it would not do to establish a precedent. Mr Barker asked were the rations enough to keep body and soul together,

| enough to keep them from starving ? t That was all the board could do, Mr Sinclair : It ia not enough. The ohairmad : We are not supposed to do everything; they are supposed to help themselves. M r Barker: She asks for money, we cannot give her money. It cannot be done, positively. Inquiry what the woman is "getting now elicited that she is getting 80 rations a month, cost 5d each, less than 9s a week. Mr Eoss thought that too little for nine people. Mr McLaren: Giye her 10 more rations; no money. It was agreed to give her 20 more rations per month. A man who is suffering from paralysis in Waimate, and who is a recipient of charitable aid, complained that h® had been turned out ef his house, and asked for means to pay bia rent.—lt was decided that he must come into the house. A somewhat similar application to that of the widow from Geraldine came from Temuka, but it was decided to hold the matter over for a month. Mr Quinn was authorised to arrange for the children of a Temuka man whose wife had died, leaying him six children. Mr Barker moved the resolution of which he had given notice, to the effect that no charge be made for hospital treatment of the working class, and that the charge be raised to those who could afford to pay, and that the outpatient system be reduced. —After a ieng discussion the motion was negatived, the mover only voting for it. Mr Barker then gave notice to move at next meeting that the charge of £1 Is per week, 3s per day; also that a record be kept of the circumstances of out-patients treated, Mr McLaren gave notice to move, as a compromise between actual cost and the lower charge named by Mr Barker, that the charge be 24s 6d per week and 3s 6d per day. The board then rose.