North Wairarapa Benevolent Society.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2966, 2 August 1888, Page 2

North Wairarapa Benevolent Society.

Tbe Ordinary monthly meeting .of tbe Trustees was held yesterday. Pre--sent—Messrs Pay ton'. (Chairman) AY. H. Beetham, and R; M; Galloway, ft; ' .The Chairman stated/ that .he; had given instructions lor .proceedings" to be taken to compel tlie District ;Board to pay that contribution; to the Society which it was supposed by law : to provide'. ;; In his _ opinion 7 the ; time; had arrived for'terminating the deadlock wbioh; : he was last not a single'penny of'revenue had; been .:recer?ed,; ! and ;4hey : ;had;-:beon, 'acqumulating'Uiabiiity';';; .fe'mpgt'j^ idesire; tp retire and;the local placed..them in this position of embarrassmept had been/of no assistauee. ■lt. was.true; they had; guaranteed-:two. months (supply, butias the Bank would; not advance money on the 'guarantee it was ho relief to them'.;'-Uuderthe'se condilions ; .".it was'impdssible to'? work the Society efficiently or. economically. 1 His object in accepting the; Chairmanship had been to endeavor to assist poor people to help themselves: rather than- to. make- pensioners of'them. Some success in; this direction had been secured and tbe weekly doles had been reducedfroni six pounds to under four pounds per week, but until the financial difficulty was arranged the work of reorganisation could not well be undertaken. For tbepresent he would suggest a further gradual reduction of the weekly, allowances with a view to stimulate the recipients to 1 exert themselves in the direction of self-help, and lo prepare for a possible alternative of a total cessation of supplies, From a return which the Secretary had prepared at his request, he found that certain cases which they had inherited had cost the Society very considerable sums of money. From first to last Mrs J— received £llO 16s; Mrs 11—£64 lis 4d; Mrs W—£92 ss; Mrs D—— £solßs 6d; and Mr P. E—• MQ. If they had to deal, with cases in the future of women being deserted by their husbands, he should recommend starting them in some small way of business, rather than allowing thein to gradually absorb such large sums of public inoney.. One other reason, besides the considerations which he had mentioned had induced him to take proceedings against the District Board, and that was the' discourtesy of that body in not replying to their communications. Their Secretary wrote to ask the Secretary of the District Board when its next meeting would tako place..•Obtaining no reply he; by .his direction, telegraphed for the information,' and even then 'he failed to-get it. ;,He considered it was then their duty to tbe tradespeople" to., whom; 'tliey-owe mcounts, to force.the' District to pay .them, andif they wereunsuccessful in this direction they sh'ouliapply to the Government to. provide the neces ; sary funds, and deduct the; sahio from subsidies to local bodies.'

" A resolution was passed reducing the amounts granted to'recipients, of relief, on an average 2s Gd per week. The case of a person deserted by; her husband, with a family of little ones to provide for was considered. Application had been made by her for.relief to the extent of fivo shillings' per week. The report upon the case was not altogether of a satisfactory nature, and it was a question whether the children should be denied help on that account.

Members present expressed tho feeling that it would bo better to assist the applicant, to provide a mangle to help her to gain a living, but until matters were settled with the District Board it was decided that nothing could be done.

Letters were read from tho Borough Council and County Council in reference to guaranteeing supplies and stating they would do so for a period of one month.

The resignation of Mr S. E. Gappor as Trusteo was read, but in tho present condition of the Society, it was decided that the meeting could not accept it. This concluded the business, '