Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1895. CHARITY AT HOME.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5129, 13 September 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1895. CHARITY AT HOME.

Sickness and sorrow are always sad, bnfc even these woes, judging by the reports of the North Wairarapa Benevolent Society have a slightly humourous side. Our last issue contained the records of a somewhat peculiar meeting. A woman applied for the cost of her husband's funeral expenses, the said husband being yet in the land of the living. There apparently was some feeling on the part of the applicant that it was well to be in lime and that first come would be first served. Tho Chairman reported that a sum of money had been forwarded in response to this application, establishing a new pre-morteni funeral relief. We do not know whether there are other married women in tho community who desire to bury their husbands and are prepared (ogive guarantees that the corpses shall be ready provided that the monoy be advanced. Then again, another woman, " a mother in Israel," applied for n nurso and other medical comforts desirable for those who are contemplating increasing the population of New Zealand without the meritricious aid of immigration, Wo do not know whether this applicant expocted to < find a nurse amongst the Trustees, but she evidently considers that she was accomplishing soniethingdeserv- ' ing of-reward aud encouragement, 1 The question arises as to whether the Trustees should reward and eiieour- ■ age enterprise of this character and : draw up a scale of payments by , results, so much for singles and so ; much for doubles, Our report did ; not state what view the Trustees '• took of this highly interesting appeal ' and we are left to conjecture whether ' all necesssry comforts were conceded, , including .'.' a welcome little stranger" pinojishion; whether a , paid or a volunteer purse was sup- ] plied or if one or other of the Trns r ; tees will stand as godfather to the } coming protege of tho Society, i There is also another queer side of ] the affair. Month by month, and i year by year the bill for charitable ■ aid goes on increasing, and each year ' a- bigger rate to provido for it ] requires to be struck. Is the ball , to roll until everybody becomes a | pauper ? • i In. a 'new- country like New Zen- ' land, people generally 'have, or have ) hadj'to put'ppwith'jnany privations, ' |trinjs and struggles. What, old ] cokuisi mwi ''recall jaavy dark i

hours, many bitter experiences; but it is the custom ih this land to bear these uncomplainingly as part and parcel of the common lot. Selfreliance carries the humble colonist through perils and privations, aud makes a man of him, a self-depen-dent, self-respecting man, who is an honour to the country. But this new fashion of throwing troubles when they arise on to the shoulders of certain trustees, and claiming that the latter shall make provision for them at the expense of the public,- is the way to mako paupers, not colonists. We trust we are not wanting in sympathy with the sick and poor, but that sympathy does not take a form of pulingsentimentality. Help them to help themselves by all means; but if they won't help themselves, do not by a weak sentimcnt-a-lism, convert them into permanent paupers and pensioners on the industrial army of the colony,