HELPING THE NEEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 59, 8 March 1912, Page 9

HELPING THE NEEDY.

DRINK AND A HARD LANDLORD.

The customary ligt of cases for relief Was dealt with by the Charitable Aid Committee of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board at its meeting yesterday afternoon. FIGHTING FUNDS WANTED. A rather unusual ease was that of a young man who said that he had come to the Dominion some five years ago, and subsequently lived in Wellington, Palmerston North, Napier and Gisborne. In the course of his work he had contracted lead poisoning, wirfi the result that he had been a long time in hospital at Palmerston North, where his left thumb had been amputated. He wanted the Board to lend him 22/-, with which he would cable to his father in England for £25. If he got this sum, he would repay the loan, and also start an action for damages against his former employers. The poisoning at present prevented him from earning mora 'than his board. The Committee, after considering the matter, decided to send the cable, provided the £25 were sent to them direct and not to the applicant. A VIOLENT HUSBAND. A good-looking and respectablydressed young woman, who was suffering from a black eye, applied for a few days' maintenance for herself and three children. She explained that her husband, a wharf labourer, had been in the habit of getting drunk and ill-treating her, so that she began to feel she could noi live with him any longer. At thef end of last w«ek he had come home drunk, and attacked her, blackening her eye. .''he caught up the youngest child and fled from the house, and the husband, 5n pursuit, fell sprawling down the entrance steps, breaking his nose and one arm. He was taken to the Hospital. To make matters worse, a hard-hearted landlord, scenting trrrable, locked up the house in her absence, and took away the key, although there were no arrears of rent. She -had just been told that afternoon that her husband had broken, out of the Hospital, and so she had taken out a warrant' for his arrest, fearing more "violence. She was living with friends, and now asked for support till she could get an "order fa* separation and maintenance. The application was granted, the chairman remarking thai the landlord should be farced to give up the key of the house, to which he had no right. The relieving officer added, in respect to this, that the landlord m question was well known as a man who would try to draw blood from a stone.

IMMIGRANT F_M_«TS TROCTH__. •A bright-looking woman, -with a slight American accent, applied for, and was granted, an extension, of relief for herself a-d three children, pendang the discovery of the whereabonte of the hustand and fattier. It appeared that the family came to New Zealand from Canada with some capital, and more to follow when their farm was sold. The hmband -had gone across to Australia, lea i ing his family behind, and all attempts to trace him had failed. Th* wife repudiated the iidea that the trasband had deserted her, and declared her belief that some' sickness or other misfortune had intervened to prevent his writing 1 . Her inquiries at the hospitals had been vain, and she was now Suing to try the asylums. IN HIS OLD A&E. Appfieatfcn fo#- admission" to the Costley Homo wu made by a' greyheaded man, who -was certiScd to be suffering from senile debility. It appeared that he was well past {he age of 65, but having spent a fair proportion of his life in gaol, was not within the category of those who can benefit by ' the benevolent Old Age Pensions Act. It was Eke wise explained that he had beeA in the Home some three years before, and in spite of his past was not likely to give the staff any trouble. On being told that he would be taken care of for the rest of his days, the old man gave a semi-military salute, but otherwise received the news with the philosophical calmness that comes with age.