Page 233 - Annuaire Statistique Québec - 1918

G-PHlLANTHROPIC INSTITUTIONS

THE PUBLIC CHARITIES ACT.

The Quebec Bureau of Public Charities was created by the Legislature
of the Province in 1921 for the purpose of assisting, in accordance with
the law called t'The Public Charities Act" (l), the indigent patients in
hospitals or received in an establishment recognized as a public charitable
inst~itution by the Lieutenant-Governor in Caunci!. A list of these
institutions is published every year in the Quebec Official Gazelle. The
aid gl'anted by the Government cannot in any case exceed one third of
the total cost of the maintenance of the indigent received by a public
charitable institution; the second third is paid by the local municipality
where the indigent person has had his or her bona fide domicile during
the six consecutive months previous to admission; and the last third iB
paid by the charitable institution. However the Lieutenant-Governor
in Council, may on recommendation of the Public Chal'ities Service, in
cases of u,rgency and absolute necessity, help, in any way he deems
advisable, the development of the public charities in the Province. The
persons so assisted must give proof of their indigence to the authorities
in order to be admitted to the hospitals at the expense of the Govern-
ment, municipalities and institutions.

Under this Act, it is lawful for local or county municipalities
to pass by-Iaws to establish and maintain hospitals, homes, foundling
hospitals, sanatol'ia, refuges or aIl other public charitable institutions, for
the purpose of helping the indigents whose domicile is situated within
the limits of such municipalities. The dues of teu pel' cent collected
by the municipalities on places of amusement, are given, one haU to
the municipal charities fund and the other haU to the public charities
fund. The costs of collection are incumbent upon the municipality.
This fund is l'urther increased by the following dues: the cost of licenses
for places of amusement; the dues collected for race-course, lipenses and
the entrance fees at race meetings, the registration Fees for apparatus
employed in making bets or wagers on race-courses and the duties
imposed on the said bets and wagers. Every municipality is bound to
remit to the Treasurer of the Province one half of the proceeds collected
under this Act, An amendment to the Public Charities Act, known as
the "Hospital Tax" imposes the collection of a fee of five pel' cent on
aIl meals costing one dollal' or over in the cities and towns in the Province.
The hotel or restaurant proprietOl', in this case, acts as the agent of the
Province and is obliged to remit the amounts collected ta the Secreta!'y
of the Province together with a SWOl'll staternent.

(ll Revis.d St•.tute, of the Proy;nce of Quebec, 1925, Vol. Il!, ob. 139 and amcndment Id Geo. V. ch. 55.