H.—22a

10

or Trustees control the administration, the Board or the Trustees, as the case may be, may recover the whole cost of such relief from the Trustees or the Board of the district in which such person last resided for one whole year : Provided that during the time any such person is in a hospital or other institution or separate institution, or in receipt of outdoor relief in the district within which such person has taken abode, no such person shall be deemed to have been resident therein for the purpose of establishing settlement within the meaning of this section." —Carried. Motion No. 28. Mr. Stevenson (Otago Charitable Aid Board) moved, and Mr. AValker (Otago Charitable Aid Board) seconded, "That the fees to be paid by patients be more clearly defined under the heading ' Maintenance,' so as to prevent hospital abuse." —Carried. Motion No. 29: Mr. Milligan (Waitaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board) moved, " That the principles contained in remit 88, and adopted by the Conference, with respect to section 74 of the Bill, be made to apply to section 75." —Carried. Remit 93. Nelson Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. —That when a separate institution is to be established, the promoters shall once a week for four weeks advertise in some local paper their intention of making application to the Minister for the purpose.—Agreed to. Remit 94. Wairarapa District Hospital Board. —Section 51 : The committee is of opinion that no separate institution should be incorporated without the sanction of the Board of the district in which the proposed institution will be situated. —Agreed to. Remit 95. Oamaru Hospital Trustees. —Section 51 : Subsection (1) to be altered to read, " Any institution that is not or is not intended to be maintained wholly or in part out of the funds of any Board, but is or is intended to be maintained wholly or in part by the voluntary contributions from the public, who have signified their intention to contribute thereto (in sums of not less than five shillings) a yearly amount of not less than one hundred pounds, and who have paid one year's subscription in advance, or a donation of not less than twenty pounds, may be incorporated as hereinafter mentioned as a separate institution under the Act." —Lost on the voices. Remit 104. Coromandel Hospital Trustees. —Section 56, subsection (3): That three months be substituted for one month. —Agreed to. Remit 35. Coromandel Hospital Board. —That the month of April should be substituted for the month of January, so that the report and accounts can be dealt with at the end of the financial year. —Agreed to. It was resolved to strike out remits 127 and 128, dealing with the setting-aside of endowments by the Crown, as being outside the scope of the Conference. Remits 143 to 146 a were discussed, and remit 146 a (Wellington Hospital Trustees. — Clause 21, line 4: After the word "institution" the words "involving an expenditure of over £250 " to be inserted, and a three-weeks time-limit inserted) was carried after being amended by striking out " £250," and inserting in lieu thereof " £100," the Chairman stating that he would consider the question of a percentage of annual income being taken as a basis of expenditure. Remits 147 and 148 were discussed, and remit 147 (North Canterbury Hospital Board. — Clause 77, (1), with the following addition : " and that copies of any report be forwarded to the respective Boards interested ") was carried. Motion No. 30. Mr. Gallaway (Dunedin Benevolent Institution)' moved, and Mr. Tapper (Otago Benevolent Institution) seconded, " That subsection (2) of section 53 be amended by providing that the interest accruing be accumulated and applied to augment the bequest, and not to apply towards the maintenance of the institution." —Carried. Remits 148 a to 154 a were discussed, and the Inspector-General promised to recommend the Government that subsidies should be paid on amounts donated for specific purposes. Remits 155 to 158 were discussed, and remit 157 (Coromandel Hospital Trustees. —Section 82 : That all declarations and documents should be exempt from stamp duty) was carried. Remit 161 was discussed, and it was agreed to leave the matter in the hands of the InspectorGeneral. The debate on Motion No. 15, moved by Mr. Bellringer, and seconded by Mr. Quinn, was resumed. Motion No. 31. Mr. Norris (Ashburton and North Canterbury Charitable Aid Board) moved, and Mr. Gallaway (Otago Benevolent Institution) seconded, "That this meeting considers that if the Government reduces its subsidies" on outdoor relief it should take over the cost of the maintenance of all children committed to an industrial school." —-This was subsequently withdrawn. Mr. Bellringer's motion, " That the subsidies from the Government continue as at present," was carried without dissent. Remit 162. (St. Andrew's Orphanage. —Appointment of Guardians : That a clause similar to clause 4 of the Act of 1886 be inserted provrding for the appointment of guardians) was carried. . : Motion No- 32. Mr. Bagnall (Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board) proposed, and Mr. Knight (Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board) seconded, " That the Government be requested to make provision by which Magistrates would not be empowered to commit children to an industrial school unless the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board of the district had first refused to make provision for such children." —Carried. Mr. Tapper (Otago Benevolent Institution) suggested that Charitable Aid Boards have more power to protect women and children. Mr. Bain (Southland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board) thought that action should be taken by the Government to bring back deserting husbands. The Chairman agreed to take these suggestions as expressing the opinion of the Conference, and stated that he would give full consideration to any suggestions handed in by delegates on matters not appearing on the agenda paper.