“POVERTY BREEDS EVIL.”

Evening Star, Issue 22277, 2 March 1936, Page 3

“POVERTY BREEDS EVIL.”

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Under the above beading, in your issue of to-niglit, is a 'report of the meeting of the Hospital Board, in which Mr M. Silverstone (a member of that board) made reference to a meeting that was held about four years ago, at which the then chairman of the Benevolent Committee, Mr J. W. Scurr, made a statement which was repeated as having been to the following effect: “That the board kept the applicants right down on the bread line.” To this Hr Newlands said: “ That’s a lie, and a gross misrepresentation of what was said. Mr Scurr said it was our job to keep the unemployed above the bread line. The man who manufactured this statement to convey its opposite meaning is a cur.” Mr Hove supported Hr Newlands, pointing out that Mr Scurr had explained his statement, and “ had its twisted meaning corrected.” Hr Newlands, in repeating his description, said he did not know who the man was. 1 am the person who heard Mr Scurr make, use of the - words quoted above, and made use of by Mr Silverstone at Thursday night’s meeting of the Hospital Board. There was no ease whatsoever of twisting or misrepresenting one word in any shape or form. The words Mr Scurr used in reply to a question were: “We keep them right down on the bread line.” They 'were so vividly impressed on my mind, the moment they were uttered, that I then and there made a vow that if ever I got on the board, and Mr Scurr was also a member, I w r ould remind him in no uncertain w T ay of his weirds, and I would do all in my power at the following election to prevent him from being returned. I put this statement forward on every platform I spoke from, and if I mistake not the statement also appeared in the Press, but no evidence have 1 seen yet from Mr Scurr ever attempting to correct it as alleged by Mr Hove. If I had manufactured the statement, as Hr Newlands says, there is no w r ord or words strong enough to condemn such an action. But let me ask Hr Newdands and Mr Dove ■ this question: “ What purpose could I have in twisting of misrepresenting anything Mr Scurr or anyone else said? ’’ Mr Scurr at that time I had never spoken to, and knew nothing w’hatever about him till he was at that meeting, and I found out he represented the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Do these people or anyone believe I wanted to get into public life on a he? i never wanted to get into public life; only some people thought 1 should offer my services, and 1 placed my personal feelings behind and consented to their wishes. I would sooner grow tomatoes, sweet peas, roses, etc. Mr Scurr spoke those w r ords, and no amount of tears wdll ever obliterate them. I am not blaming the chairman for standing by Mr Scurr, and in the chairman’s opinion Mr Scurr may have done good w’orfc for the Benevolent Committee as it# chairman. But I must remind the chairman that that aspect is beside the point at issue, and does not disprove the veracity of my w r ords. Then we have Dr Newlands eulogising the capabilities of the officer who doles out the relief, whose inquiries into persons’ circumstances were made carefully and sympathetically, and, w'hile the committee was not lavish, it saw that the officer gave sufficient. Fine words 'don’t butter bread; rvd people fiave come to me and told me they were afraid to go and ask for relief, and would sooner starve than submit to the third degree questioning. No doubt the officer, w'ho has not sufficient money to cope w'ith her clients’ needs, becomes a bit upset, which keeps some of the more timid ones from coming again, and, therefore, Mr Silverstone has hit the nail on the head when he is advocating more money.—T am, etc., P, Neilson. Febru? - y 28. [Mr Scurr explains that what he said, in answer to a deputation, was that it was not the province of the board to find work for the unemployed; its business was to keep people who were right down on the bread line. The misinterpretation of the statement (which would require uo more than a failure to hear two words) was eorrected by him at a meeting of the Hospital Board at the time. Plainly the important thing is not wdiat was said by Mr Scurr, which is disputed, but the practice of the board and circumstances that control its practice.—Ed. E.S.]

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —T Lave just finished reading about the statement made by Mr Silverstone at the meeting of the Otago Hospital Board and also Dr Newlands’s reply to it. Dr Newlands says: “ The allowances made may not be handsome, hut at the same time could not be denied to be sufficient.” This makes me smile, and think of how I was treated. I am a married man and have two children. Last year .1 took ill and was in hospital for seven and a-half months. My wife asked for help. This is what she received; JOs a week for groceries, 2s (id for meat, and a quart of milk a day. Dr Newlands will say this is sufficient; but 12s 6d would not feed him for a week, 1 imagine. My wife had to keep three on that, dust fancy, 4s 2d a week each, or 7d a day! After a lot of argument the board paid half my rent. She received four bags of coal in seven and a-half months. Gee! They were warm during the winter ! My reason for writing this is to show that,, after all. Mr Silverstone may not be talking the nonsense that Miss Farquhar and Dr Newlands would

have people believe. T am not talking nonsense, anyway. This is true in every way.—l am, etc., Not Bunkum. February 29