CHARITABLE AID.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9056, 15 February 1908, Page 5

CHARITABLE AID.

COUNTRY ADMINISTRATION CRITICISMS.

"ON THE FAT OF THE LAND"

REFUTATIONS OF ALLEGED EXTRAVAGANCE.

The Wellington press, a week or more back, stated that an inquiry into the routine method adopted in the administration of charitable aid had brought to light sume "rather queer practices that had through use become to be the accepted thing, but which must be held up to question."

It was explained that in Wellington city th<3 administation of charitable aid is left to the Benevolent Institution, buc that there are no such bodies in scattered country districts to attend to the matter, which is carried out by the local bodies, who foiward vouchers for money expended to the Charitable Aid Board sitting 1 in Wellington, and these, after pasting the Board, are met by cheque. It was further pointed out that most of the local bodies sent in their vouchers pretty regu'arlv, and that many of them attached detailed accounts describing exactly how the money had been expended, while yet others forwarded detailed tradesmen's accounts made out in the names of those in receipt of charitable aid. One journal wrote in the following strain: —"What is surprising about the whole business, viewed in the light of what these accounts disclose, is that there are evidently people in receipt of charitable aid in the country who have for years made it a common practice to go to the grocer; and simply order what they like when they like, and for years their accounts have been forwarded and passed for payment by an indulgent Board of busy men. . . . The items included cheese, cocoa, biscuits, candied - peel, spice, raisins, ginger nuts, bacon, salad oil, flour, pickles, knife polish, St. Jacob's oil, and envelopes, and a dozen other things that could be mentioned, some of which are surely j superuflous for people living on charitable aid. Even if one allows that the whole of the goods enumerated are necessaries of life, it seems difficult to imagine why the Charitable Aid Board should readily supply money for such articles as leggings, pick-handles, axe-handles and hops—yet such is the case. A Wairarapa Age reporter brought these criticisms under the notice of the secretary of the Masterton Benevolent Trustees (Mr C. A. Tabuteau) yesterday, and that gentleman had some interesting remarks to make in reply.

"Of course," said Mr Tabuteau, "some of the remarks of the Wellington newspaper do not apply to our Trustees, as we disburse our own funds, but the allegations that recipients are 'living on the fat of the land' (this was a sub-heading in part of an article), and that an 'indulgent body of business men' practically squander the public fund is entirely unmerited so far as the local trustees are concerned, as 1 will prove." The secretary then produced a number of accounts from various tradesmen for rations, etc., supplied to recipients of charity- -thav were taken indiscriminately from a file—and allowed the reporter to peruse them. On not a single account did there appear an item to which exception might be taken on the ground that it was a luxury. On only one did the item "candied peel'' appear, and in this case there was a sick child in the house. The following list comprised a tpyical rations account : 7

"Butter, sugar, currants, tea, condensed milk, St. Mungo soap, flour, candles." These items recurred on the bill, and in isolated cases bacon appeared.

"Now," said the secretary, "the idea that cheese is a luxury is absurd, as we find that it is equal to three times the same amount spent in meat. As far as such items as St. Jacob's oil, candied peel, bacon, raisins, cocoa, flour, biscuits, and other similar 'luxuries' are concerned, if the reporter was able to investigate the merits of each individual case where these items are perimtted to pass scrutiny, no doubt he would find that they were as much necessaries in the particular instances as the commonest articles of diet. The Trustees of the North Wairarapa Benevolent Society use the utmost caution m passing accounts, and they have cases come before them where some of the articles enumerated as luxuries are ■by no means such." , The local trustees, the secretary stated, nevjr supplied such articles as leggings, but it can readily be conceived that such articles as axehandles and pick handles might be rarely sanctioned where it was necessaryy foe a recipient's livelihod—indeed the Trustees would be shortsighted not to allow such articles to be purchased.

A statement was also made that "there is one regular client who has been on the books of the Board for over eleven years, and his accounts come in as regular as the seasons, and there is an old lady, who writes regularly that she is sorry, but has to ask the Board for further assistance. The Board has never refused her, be it said to its credit, but what business proof has the Board that every case on its books is a genuine one, and what system is adopted to check possible fraud?" "We have never had any person on our list longer than for two years, and ihen we made strict inquiries twice during the last twelve months.," said the secretary. "No cash is ever given at all. Weekly tickets are given to shopkeepers', who forward their accounts to us, and these are scrutinised carefully. During my fifteen months term of office I have never heard of the system being abused. Our cases are fully investigated by lady trustees where necessary, and all applications must be supported in person, unless the applicant is physically unable to appear."

"Do you think an Inspector appointed to periodically investigate country administration of charitable aid would be a profitable investment?" was asked, as this was a remedy suggested by a city paper. "As far as we are concerned, emphatically No." Furthermore, the secretary considered that the strictures of the Wellington press were written in entire ignorance of the true circumstances affecting country charitable administration.