Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 1894. HATCHING PAUPERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4697, 17 April 1894, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 1894. HATCHING PAUPERS.

Our Carterton contemporary, tho Obterm, declares that Masterton hatches paupers, that our Benevolent Society, having to do something, fosters ike pauper element in a community where it should be unknown, , that Masterton attracts paupers because it is known all over the Colony as a refuge for the indigent, Now, all this ib very true, and in the truth of it lies the sting, borne .years ago we pointed out that tho Master lon County spent on charitable aid double and treble the money that the Wairarapa County expended audinquired ' the reason. The populations of tho two counties wero similar, and the wealth and resources of eaoh much about the same. The only explanation of tho anomaly tvas, we pointed out, that Masterton fostered pauperism and the Wairarapa did not. If tho North Wairarapa Benevolent Society were abolished, charitable aid to a .certain" extent would have to be administered by either the County or Borough Clerk, but we venture to aay that it would be dispensed on a much less liberal scale than at present, Very many applicants for relief are quite capable of earning money, and local bodies could put work in their wßy. It would probably be found in some oases that applicant would refuse work, or after a little timo throw it up, This "experience has beep verified iD the past, and would probably be repeated in the future. A man or woman will Btick like a leeqb to a Society, whioh will give him or her a weekly dole and remain constant to it for years, but if work has to be given in return for the money the man or woman speedily gets siok of this kind of thing, and either clears out or seeka some more profitable occupation. A short time ago a strong vigorous looking woman consulted ua as to her future pjotpeots. She thought that if the Benevolent Society—she was then in receipt of a weekly dole-would give her an income for a year or two! tor children would be old enough loeammoney We asked her whether 'she. would not do better if she turned to and worked for her obildren instead of depending upon charity. She did not like this idea, shed a few tears, and did not again seek advice from us. In our opinion this woman bad been induced to becomo a pauper by the sympathetic good nature of the members of the Benevolent Society, and she was no< prepared to do what she otherwise woujd have done, viz., gone out washing and earned her four shillings a day, Our Carterton opntemporary suggests that Benevolent Societies ' should be abolished. There is anpther ' alternative that we would like to see ' adopted and that would be for the ' JJenevolent Society to supply work \ instead of pants to-all applicants, i whether male or female, wljo ure i entitled tp assistance, and who are ! physically capable of doing light work, j However, the question which we put some time ago as to the reason why charitable aid,costs twioe or thrice as , much m Wairarapa North as it does t in Wairarapa South is one that the a Trustees of the .Benevolent Society l ought to answer. If they cannot ex- " plain the anomaly it must be taken ' for granted that they spend the extra money in hatching paupers, '