The Charitable Aid Question.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2888, 2 May 1888, Page 2

The Charitable Aid Question.

The Conference, A conference was held in Masterton yesterday afternoon of delegates from the various local bodies contributing : funds to the United District Cliai'itablo Aid Board. There were present Messrs G. Beetham M.H.K., T. Mackay, i)agg, (W.N.C.C.) Braitliwaite, Bunny,- (W.5.C.C,,) W. Perry and Renall (Borough of Masterton), Fairbrotlier, (Borough of Carterton), J. Udy and T. Kempton, (Borough of Greytown). . . MrTlios.Mackay wasvotosto the chair. ■ The Chairman briefly stated. the object of the Conference, It was to : ideal with the question of Charitable Aid in the direction of. securing separation from Wellington in the matter,; and the institution of the Wairarapa as

a distinct district. He pointed out tliW inj ut stice of the country residents havi»pe»' to support the poor of Wellington, it was.well known, too, that the destitute, instead of congregating in tile towns, dispersed about the country. The number of persons, such as swaggers who received help at outlying stations was enormous, and was, without the tax, a sufficient drain on the land-owners charity. As an instance he mentioned that no less than one thousand poverty-stricken. men had received a free passage across the Aolionga Feny, in the Castlepoint Hiding, in one year, they not having even enough money to pay the almost nominal ferry fee. As far as the North County Council was concerned, it had no money to # pay. a Charitable Aid levy with, \ for now, although the Council enforced the rates to the' utmost

extent allowed by the Act, the sum . derived therefrom was not even enough to properly maintain tlie roads alone. He hoped the Conference would unanimously advocate separation, as tijj| Wairarapa had long enough acted ™ the milch cow for Wellington, In concluding his remarks, the Chairman quoted figures from a return just presented to the United District Board, which'showed that during the past year Wellington city had contributed 13054 17s (id, and drawn £5478 13s Gd; the Hutt County contributed £983 7a 4d, and drew £SBO lis lOd; Horowlienua County contributed £196 3s, and drew £818s; the Wairarapa North County contributed £BB6 8s lOd,. and drew £360; the Wairarapa South County contributed £IOO7 2s 2d, and drew £2 10s; the borough of Masterton contributed £219 9s 6d, and drew nothing; the borough of Greytown contributed £63 14a lOd, and drew nothing. There, was a

credit balance of £2380 lis 5d to the counties, and a debit balance against Wellington of £2418 16s. He also mentioned that the asessments of subsidy due during the ensuing as under: —Wellington City Council, £2064 5s B£d; Hutt and Melrose, £632 8s 4d; Horowlienua, L 126 2s s|d; Wairarapa North, L 569 4s Bid; Wairarapa South, L 647 8s 7£d; Masterton, Ll4l Is 9£d; Greytown, L4O 19s 7d; total, L 4221 5s 9|d. The amount is l-7th of Is in the L for the town, and l-7th of fdin the L for the counties, Last year it was only l-9tk of these amounts. Mr Bunny in an impressive and well-received speech, bore out the Chairman's contentions. He recom*

mended that no action whatever be taken to raise money to pay into the general fund to enable the Wellington Benevolent Society to carry on its operations. Mrßenall asked what position Ihey a would bo in if tlie United District * Board proceeded to legal action to enforce its demands. He entirely agreed witli the necessity for separation, The support ot those around them was quite as much as they could manage. M The Chairman read the Act wliieo showed that default of payment for one month gave the District Board power to proceed in a Court of law. He remarked, however, as far as the Wairarapa North County was concerned sucli action would avail little little, for there were no assets, Mr Bunny said lie understood action would be taken in the coming Parliament to rectify matters in the direction of procuring a separation, In the meantime they should take deoided and united action to impress upon the members that they were thoroughly determined in the matter.

Mr Beetham, expressed . himself in favor of separation as advocated He, however, did not believe in quite such a stringent measure as Mr Bunny desired, for in any case Government would not take retrospective action, and all subsidy due up to tlie time the Act was passed would ' bave to be paid. One great injustjflfc.--■ not previously alluded to was the fro of the Wairarapa having at present to contribute to the support of children in Industrial Schools when it practically provided no inmates, He would be glad to help the conference's views in everyway in his power.' Mr Bunny rejoined that no gentle steps would avail, ifliey had the whole country at'their backs in their opposition to the existing unrighteous Act, which brought town and country together, There must be no shillyshalleving. They must show in strong terms their resistance to tlio existing state of things. The Chairman, and Mr John Udy senr., also favoured Mr Bunny's ideas on the subject, and were decidedly with that gentleman's strong expressions of opinion, The following motion was then proposed by Mr Bunny, seconded by Braithwaite and carried unanimously " That in the opinion of this conference the Local Bodies in tho Wairarapa shall take no steps to levy any jato tp provide funds for the United District Charitable Bpapj-'L • The Chairman then said that in order that united resistance to any claim might be made he would m<w;

I- : "That in the event of tlioUnited District Charitable Aid Board taking action against any of the Wairarapa contributing bodios to recover contritjJ)utious demanded, that a meeting of Iphoso bodios be summoned at once (by the Chairman of the presont conference) to consider the action to be taken. This was seconded by Mr Bunny, , and carried unanimously. Mr Bunny further moved, and it was carried: " That Messrs Beetliam and Buchanan, M.H.R.'s, bo requested to support any measures to be brought before the House, which will give effect to the views expressed by the Conference." Mr Beetliam again expressed bis willingness to aid in any way lie could. A similar evil in the case of the Hospitals had only beeu removed by separation, after a long struggle and they could hope for the same reward as of persistent protest. The Chairman remarked that as there was a widespread and intense • feeling on this question, he would move that in order to secure outside pressure and support, " That copies of the forgoing resolutions be forwarded to the various local bodies in the .Colony who were similarly situated." JL This concluded the business, and Conference adjourned sine die,