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Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2021, 13 June 1867, Page 2

A case which came before the Eesi-' dent Magistrate's Court the other; day seems to deserve something, more than the passing notice it received in the ordinary report. A person, one of whose relatives had died, applied for Government ; aid to defray the funeral expenses. \ This he received, to the amount of three pouada tea shillings. But, dissatisfied with'the modest, not to say; bare, style in which the charitable; allowance would enable the funeral to! be conducted, he engaged a friend to see the undertaker about further: arrangements, and by this means; doubled the cost. When summoned forj the amount of his moderate bill—for, | among other things, a hearse Had been! engaged—he refused to pay for that; item of the account. So far, indeed, the' mistake might have been the result of' a slight misunderstanduig.between the two, friends. But it came out, on ! examination into the particulars; of the case, that the deceased had left • property more than sufficient topay the whole bill—in fact, enough had been, left to obviate the necessity of applying for public charity, in order to provide the cost of a quiet, unpretending funeral. . Of course the relative had to pay the undertaker's charge. We hope he will also see fit to refund the Government allowance, or else be compelled to do so. In these times of both public and private scarcity of funds, every attempt to prey upon the means available for charitable purposes ought to bo instantly exposed. The worst enemies of the truly necessitous are these idle and selfish pretenders to poverty.