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Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3171, 18 April 1879, Page 2

The following letter has been received by the Borough Council from the Government, and is a copy of one sent to the County Council. By it will be seen the intentions of the Government, and whatever may be said of the wisdom or otherwise of local bodies taking the management of charitable institutions, it is evident that as the matter stands at present it is to the advantage of all parties to accept the offers of the Government of the day. It is a loss to the Hospital, the County refusing to subscribe, while it compels the Borough to contribute more than a just share of such expenses:— Colonial Secretary's Office, . Wellington, ,3rd April, 1879. Sir, —In reply to your letter of the 11th March, upon the subject of contributions from the County revenue -to Charitable Institutions, I have the honour, by direction of the Colonial Secretary, to inform you that no deductions are made from subsidies, nor are any contributions expected from either County or Borough funds in respect of Lunatic Asylums, Training ships, or Industrial Schools, except perhaps to the extent of any incidental cost of removal of pauper inmates to them. The Charitable Institutions proper, which should be supported by voluntary contributions, supplemented by grants from local bodies and by Government subsidies of £ for £, are, besides the Hospital, the Charitable relief of the Destitute, the Old Men's Refuge, and the I proposed new Orphan Home. These are all local institutions, and the proportionate use of them made respectively by the County and Borough should be easily arranged between those bodies. The: Government relieves both of all charge for Lunatic Asylums and for Naval training ship maintenance, and, as regards the Industrial School, subsidises it. The alternative in regard to the local hospital and charitable institutions, if the local bodies will not accept the Government proposals, is to charge the entire cost to those bodies in accordance with the law under section 5 of " The Financial Arrangements Act, 1878." For the last half year this has not been done because the local bodies were expected to accept the Government proposals, and it was desired to give them every facility compatible with the extent of the vote. But now, if all mutual arrangements prove impossible and the burden of supporting the institution be cast wholly upon the Borough, the Government will be compelled to act upon clause 8 of " The Financial Arrangements Act" and deduct from the County fund such sum as may be required without subsidising the amount. It is therefore very clear that if the County makes any use of the Borough charities it is its interest to accept the Government proposals, and to make fair concessions to the fund which supports them, and such concessions will be subsidised by the Government by payments to the managing committees of the in* stitutions, of an equivalent" to all contributions so made from the County fund. Thus if the County and .Borough between them, find enough money to pay half the cost of their local hospitals and charities, the remainder will be found from the consolidated fund, and nothing be deducted from subsidies payable to the County and Borough funds.—l have, &c, G.S. Cqopeb.