The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, MARCH 13. 1886. BENEVOLENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2243, 13 March 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, MARCH 13. 1886. BENEVOLENCE.

MAsrmou has always borne an excel-, lent reputation for the liberality and alacrity with which it has been wont to ■respond to benevolent nupeals, We trust that it will over continue to manifest the spirit of a cheerful giver, and if thwe is another virtue that vemnins to be ndded to the browning ope pf charity, it is that of discrimination, Wp possess in the North Wairarapa Beneyojent Society, a body in which both virtues piay be said to be combined, but we are n<)jt pertain that this body always fair play. It is not uiiusuh] to find its constituents; and even members of its managing eom : mittee, running an opposition to it by carrying round separate subscription lists for special cases of distress. Now it is qiiiit,epvirlent that.when individual cußim of thin oipi/'iicter tp meritorious ones, they should be d/?u ( l,t wilh by the Society, and that wlipii they nve tested apart from it there, is jiiaetically a: want of confidence manifested in (lie \w»} institution, which must ,be .in jurioiiß tj) its interests, There is however one argument in favor of appeals beinsr.made,io the public on special case* of distress, and tjjjgtjs the fact .that the personal aspect,of such, solicitations elicits snbsqriptions jhore ■freely arjd readily than request, for .aid f'qr general purposes, and, for this .reason', ,it ,wQu]dJie unwise to prevent the free course : of any fit of generosity which from time, to time may agitate tig public mindi Stillj it

might be possible to take advantage of the sympathy of tlio public with individual cases of distress, and at lhasarae lime stipulate that the local society should administer all subscriptions which might be raised. The intention of the new Act is that one-half of all funds expended for charitable objects should be raised locally, and the other moiety paid out of the consolidated reveuue, and when a cdsb of distress is relieved without the intervention of a recognised charitable aid institution, the Government is also relieved of the payment of its share. This is a piece of Quixotism for which we hava little sympathy. Why should we give our money to defray "that portion of charitable aid wliioh the Government is bound by lav? to provide 1 It has been said that ho who gives quickly gives twice, but we in Mnstertou occasionally "ire twice by taking upon our shoulders the obligations of the Government. It is therefore very desirable that we should strengthen the hands of the Benevolent Society as mujh as possible by insisting upon all money collected for charitable purposes passing through its hands, and at the same time not closing nny channel, through which prople are willing to make their payments,