THE CHARITABLE AID BILL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2055, 31 July 1885, Page 2

THE CHARITABLE AID BILL.

The following is the Hansard report of Mr Buchanan'? speech on this measure I give the Government credit for an attempt to bring tjqwn a workable measure. Ido not agree with all its provisions, but I believe it can be amended in Committee so as to'bo a vory great improvement upon anything we have had for some time, With regard to the remarks that fell from the honourable member for Sydenham, I fully agreo with what has been said by the honourable member for Tuapeka. In my district very large voluntary contributions are made for the maintenance of the two hospitals we havo got, All classes have been contributing, from the landowner down to the humblest workman, who pays I)is 5s a year, which entitles him to admission ty the hospital in case of disablement,or accident.'' | really think it comes with a bad grace from honqurabje members representing cities to find fault in the way tliey have done • with the provisions of this Bill, lam not sure- that the boundaries fixed by the Bill are the best that could have been framed. One objection on.this score, as anplied to my district, iB this: We have great difficulty In getting the best men to come forward to represent the district in' local matters, owing to the amount of time taken up. In the District Board to be set up under this Bill the representatives of my distil will have to travel all the way to Wellington which, I presume, will be fixed upon as tlie plap§ of meeting. That means three (lays for attendance at every meeting. Although I recognise the objection to small districts, still I think that if in some cases the districts were made jailer the Bill would bo open to fewer objections; There is another feature in the Bill which !■ think alqp requires some consideration. Subsidies from the Qov> eminent are to be 'allocated in proportion to tlie rates, while the contributions from the local bodies are to be in proportion to the population. I think that in'the case of some communities iliis will jSress very hardly, Ik-will conjo rattyer hard upon districts inhatitetjl by a number of people who have not • got valuable propertiesdistricts representing a low ratable value, with i} population. I .would invite, the consideration ,qf the Government to that point. I presume tije general aim of the measure is to encourage the settingup of separate institutions, so as to get as many local contributions as possiblo. Wo will imagine that this is done to a large extent, ai)4 that consequently a large amount of control to these separate institutions. One hundreij subscribers, contributing not less tlian £IOO, will be entitled to set up a separate institution, and those one hundred subscribers have .the power t.o eject six Trustees to manage it, Those Trustees arq then entitled to call upon the District Board for whatever contributions they may think necessary to support this separate institution, Now, 1 think this is altogether wrong in principle, seeing that the funds that are thus asked for by these , Trustees are to be found by the local bodies, who are not represented on this institution, which is to spend the funds, Representation, under this Bill, does not accompany taxation. lam satisfied the Government will find great objection on the part of the House to this part of the Bill, and that they will be asked to have the local bodies represented on these ;'separato institution;], It true that, if tlie district Board thinks the amount required by separate institutions is too large, it w'iil liaveV pti# of 'appeal. But I would point out, again,' that the ratepayers we pot sufficiently represented in this court of appeal, Then, as to the Government nominees, they are to number at least oiie-third of the members of the District Board, it is difficult to see good and sufficient reasons for a different coarse being taken under this Bill from that taken under the Local Bodies' Finance Powers Bill.Under that Bill the Government large contributions to the local bote," aud'yefc'dqe? not seek any representation on them. I cannot see why sueh an important dfe ence should be made in the oags of these charitable institutions. One more remark and I have done, and that is, to call the attention of the House to the fact that, in common with the Local Bodies' Finance and- Powers Bill, this Bill also must be of a tentative charaoter—that the subsidies -:must. necessarily coase at the end of two year?, jn jfche same way as they do under the other .fell', 'We shall then be. called upon to make fresh arrangements with regard to the matter now under -discussion, I shall support the second reading of the Bill, but hop# to see it largely amended' in Committee.