THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3141, 13 March 1879, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 1879.

Thebe is a difference of opinion upon the question—Did the Borough Council do right in taking, at the request of the Government, charge of the distribution of charitable aid in this district? and many of our citizens are of opinion that the coarse was a foolish one, likely to increase the burdens of the municipality. It will be remembered that at the time .the question was before the late Borough Council a report was laid upon the table, which went to prove that a great saving would bo effected if the Borough administered the charitable aid for the district, and received from the Government their subsidy in full. It was upon such a supposition that the Borough Council decided to undertake the discharge of such duties as were heretofore administered by the Government in the matter of charitable aid. That such a course was a wise one, and the report correct, that a saving would be made, is supported by the testimony of the following letter, received by telegram, written by the Attorney-General, the Hon. Eobert Stout, to the Dunectin City Council upon the question :—" As a

citizen of Dunedin I beg to draw your attention to the loss that the city revenue is sustaining by not taking some measures to provide for the Hospital at Dunedin. I enclose a statement, shewing that under the present arrangements Dunedin pays £3023 in subsidies towards the cost pf maintenance of .Hospital. If thevcrtji provided for half of the amount, by either private subscriptions or by a contribution from the city funds, the Government would, under authority of the Financial Arrangements Act, 1878, provide the other half. In fact, under present arrangements, the city is losing about £1500 a year. Ido not know the reasons that may have been urged by the City Council of Dunedin for not providing for a share of Dunedin's cost by private donation or out of city funds. In some places in the colony it is said the subsidies will cease, and then the total cost will be cast upon the local bodies. I cannot see the force in such an argument, for in other colonies there is always payable from the consolidated fund some subsidy towards hospitals. The question really is : shall the Dunedin City Councel go on losing about £1500 per year of the citizens money on the chance of something happening that will probably never happen." One of the reasons advanced by those persons, who think the Borough Council did wrong, is that all expenses for such purposes as charitable aid should be a charge upon the consolidated revenue of the country, and we quite agree with such views, but at the same.time, under the Government arrangements in force for the last few years for making provisions for hospitals, asylums, orphanages, &c,. the local bodies were made to pay more than their share, by having large deductions made from their subsidies. That the subsidies will cease in time ia admitted by all, and the fear is, that the local bodies having taken over the administration and the expenses of charitable aid, they will have to continue to pay such charges, while the fundr, the subsidy of £1 for £1 upon which they in the first place undertook* the duties, are withdrawn. If a say* ing can ba effected at once, we think it wise to take advantage of the circumstances, 1 and as, for the future aspect of the question, " sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." From the report of the conference of local bodies upon this question, it would appear that the County authorities were influenced by the fear already referred to, that the work would be thrown upon their hands, and the means at present granted to carry out the same, withdrawn, in adopting ,the course they pursued at the meeting, for in the resolution proposed by the Chairman, Mr Brodie, it is expressly stated that only as a temporary measure would the County contribute to the maintenance of the Thames Hospital, and make provision for the destitute of the County. Another idea was also evidently held by several of the speakers, that the Borough wanted to take money from the pockets of the County, to help- as x)ne of the speakers put it, to get themselves out of the mess they were in. We think if such was the object of the Borough it was wrong: the County has its own business to attend to, and quite enough work to do with the funds at its disposal, and the Borough should deal with the Government direct, if it is being made to contribute more than its share for the relief of the poor and destitute of this district. The conference being called at the suggestion of the Colonial Secretary, as was stated at tho meeting, it is a pity that some arrangement was not arrived at, which would be to the advantage of both Borough and County. We trust the question may be further considered by the joint Councils, and a satisfactory arrangement made.