CHARITABLE AID CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3151, 12 March 1889, Page 2

CHARITABLE AID CONFERENCE.

! A Protestation, . j£i" A meeting of delegates from the t local contributing bodies in the Wai> ' ' r 0 / raiapa to the Charitable Aid Board . , met in tho County OEhces, Maaterton,- - «> Present: Messrs W. 11. Beetham (in the chair), R. D. Dagg, H. R, Bunny, - Braithwaite, A. W, Renal), W. Perry, and T, H. Wood. The minutes of meeting t ,: ■■■: were read and confirmed. The Chairman said the meeting had beon convened in pursuance of a ' resolution that -the delegates should . be culled: together when anything ; arose demanding their attention. A • ' letter had been-received from ::tho solicitors, Brown, Shrrett and Deaue, " intimating that judgment had been given against the local bodies by 1 the' yttL Judge of the Supreme Court, and- "W demanding the various sums due "by ■ . .each body-together witb'costfj : ' •/ • Tho Clerk read the letter from the - solicitors which.' further, stated that ; ; : v unless the sums were paid within a week an execution would be put in, , Tho solicitors intimated that a prompt ■ compliance with their request would ■ >'■ avoid further co3ls. r, s The Chairman -said the;various local bodies had hitherto: resisted■ the claim, mid lie had no hesitation in .. • recommending them to continue '• do. Mr li. R. Buuny.;(Ohairman'of the ' - (South County Counoil) moved" that - i the various- local bodies within 'this - - i district bo . advised" to resist -; tho : i ohiimof the -Wellington Benevolent . contributors to the utmost extontof the law.- He said it seemed toliim that this was ~one of-tlio biggest swindles ever attempted to be porpetrated, They had in the past Felt tho eflects of public money gravitating < " towards the centre, of population, • i but they had never had such a blow as the- present one. i Let them glance for a moment at who 1 ihey ;were that made the demand, and jjHj 1 they would seo that the Wellington V. Socioty only contributed some three 1 or four hundred pounds, and asked - i* the country, bodies to contribute threo *or four thousands, or at leasttbree or 3 four times as much as they paid; If * lt .were not for the iniquitous law that r existed sucli.a claim could not be • made, and-'lio hoped ntxii session it would be . altered.' The Charitablo 1 Aid Aot instead of stifling : poverty 0 led to its increase and created an 1 unhealthy class- amongst ..them. Ho said, how the loafers must havo • '• smiled with satisfaction when thev • 0 learned' the new law was force,..' 8 with perhaps a passing sorrow that > n the. number of those who would participate in its benefits would-jjL '' rapidly, increase. They oould serve W him with writs, seize his goods and • chattels, still would lie resist to tho ' utmost, and ho hoped they all iyould 0 stand shoulder to shoulder to'resist l ' what lie could only term an iniquitous !| claim.

.JLUO UIUUUU- nUo oUUUDQcQ Uy : BlV Braitbvyaitii. . .. Mr l l '. H, Wood (Mayor of Greytown) said lie took it from tlie imports tie had read of Mr Duthie's, rental kg <r' that .the Wellington Mayor and jjk Council were ot opinion tlmt aa far as W the lay was concerned it was usoless to resist further tho payment of tlio claim Aimde. He questioned whether • they 'would be justified in ■incurring further; expense now that the ; Supreme Court had ■ given judgment against them. Personally , lie agreed with the remarks-mado by i Mr Bunny, bus lie '.questioned whether • it, was worth while to go to any more i exponse us,tliey would still lmve tofti pay it in 'one way or another.. He asked if.the motion were carried would i the various', bodies; be put to t.ny'■ i further expense. » ■ ' The Chuiiman.said.inost likely tliey • I would. They had already incurred • ' some expense in defending the action, ■ The costs lie said we'l'o all charged- on '.the Wairarnpa,, Horowhemm and i Melroso.were not billed for their ■ I proportion. He could quite underf; - 1 stantl Wellington paying and not " • i resisting. They were placed in a ' different position., to the .Waiiarapa ' badies. They had protested against I, the. act up'to the present, and eveni if it cost them .a few pounds more they should continue so to do to : the bitter end, If the machinery was i to bo put in force to compel: payment > of the claim let it be dono, They had <M ' but done their duty in resisting ' the utmost the iniquitous Act. ' > Mr A. W.itall (Mayor of Mai-Si : terton), said he understood the next 1 ' ' ' move of the claimants • would be to-' take execution. ' They could not • touch their private.; property, and as far' as the -Borough of Masterton tos . concerned that was quite iudependeut.. Tliey had ho ratew and no money in . the bank. If they liked to come and collect the rates in Masterton they would bo welcome. It was mdre than- tliey knew how to do themselves.; Let , them oxecnta. They had got soma : tar at; the" Gasworks that could bo '; ' seized; but tho chances w'ero -whoever attempted it would get tarred-and ■ feathered. (Laughter.) Mr Dagg said tho-object of . their ; resistahce'to tlie claim .was to show their objection to support the poor of ! i Wellington. Tliey, .were willing 'to 'support their -own poor. Tho reqson raised by .Mr Dutkio wag' ' a strong one Kot. the Waira'rapa had • stronger grounds tn stand on. Not - only did they object to contribute money for. another body to expend, but they still inoro strongly objected K . to Bend. their money to tho * poor of Wellington iu addition to rz their own, " . • Mr Bunny said the Chairmanfad hit tho nail on; the head when he said their action was a protest against an unjust claim. It was not only ' unjust but a deliberate swindle,"and he had no hesitation in eaying it,' ; The action of the local bodies was /n good protest,, against it and'they" should stand together in tho matter. Mr F, H, Wood said :if the dele. ' Sates present did not consider their past actions a sufficient protest ho WIS' .quite willing to stand by them in the 'motion before the meeting. The Chairman before putting tho motion,-said not only was the Act unjnst and uniqnitous; but it acted very mischievously m entirely doing •': away with all private benevolence, or at least to a great extent doing so., At-.one- tiny), if a womanlost her husband,, -round went- • the hat,; and .-people interested • themselves m. getting- her and her ; children .work, as it .was now, private «>jfc benevolence was snuffed out and paupers created instead of people being assuted to help themsehes This de. realising effect was due to bad legislation. * Aftei some further discussiou, tho motion* as put and cauiod' un&m,