THAT £2000 GRANT.

Grey River Argus, 2 November 1928, Page 6

THAT £2000 GRANT.

For Old People’s Home. MB O’BRIEN’S PART. In an endeavour to discount the explanation published yesterday which the .President, (Mr A. H. McKane) of the Returned Soldiers’ Association our reporter of Mr J. O’Brien’s work in securing the grant of £2OOO for the Old People’s Home, the anonymous correspondent “Digger,” Mr T. p. Rvan (present R.S.A. Secretary) and Mr A. Armstrong (of Hokitika) are quo’ed in last evening’s “Star.” “Digger” says the “Star” established communication yesterday with Mr Armstrong, who replied he, as a member of the R.S.A. Executive, -with Mr C H. Rose (Secretary) formed a committee to collect for the Home, to mark the opening of the Tunnel, and merely as a matter of courtesy they requested Mr O’Brien, as Member for the District on their behalf to approach the late. Mr Massay, who wired them he expected difficulty in getting a grant of £2OOO, but it was finally made. Mr Armstrong is thus quoted: 11 It was through our efforts that the money was secured. Mr O’Brien .would never have thought of it had it not been for the R.S.A. It was only . a matter of courtesy that Mr O’Brien should be approached by us first,_ as he was the Member for the District, but he really only transmitted our requo tto the Government. Mr 1.1. Rvan backs up “Digger” and Mr Armstrong by saying Mr McKane s “memory is evidently not ah that it might be.” Well, not in any one particular does Mr McKane’s account prove lo be in error, ’.he only difference as between him and the Dig-o-cr’s” witnesses being simply that to whether the R.S.A. telegram to Mr O’Brien to “get busy is entitled to be considered more responsible for the grant being secured han Mr O - Brien” successful intercession with the late Mr Massey. On the other hand “Digger’s” memory—Mr Ryan notwithstanding—has been proved remarkably faulty. In his letter. he said of his version: “Messrs A. Armstrong and T. Ryan, who were President and Secretary of the R.S.A. a the time, will be able to confirm this statement.” Yet yesterday levelling wo are told the President at the time xvag not Mr Armstrong, but Mr McKane, .and that the Secretary who wired Mr O’Brien to ‘‘get busy was not Mr Ryan, but Mr Rose! Then m Mr Armstrong’s account it appears as if the reply to M r O’Brien s representations were made, not to him bv Mr Massey, but direct to the R.S.A.. whereas it was Mr O’Brien who advised the committee that the Prime Minister had promised him the grant for the Home. Thus the day after receiving a telegram stating it was no a loan but a grant of £2OOO that was sought.’ Mr O’Brien replied: I nave approached the Prime Minister, asking fm* a grant. He will recommend Cabinet' to grant the £2OOO. Now yon get busy!” The public, no doubt, will be able io judge just what is meant by the use of the term courtesy in this instance. It is a rather transparent gloss for the term “getting busy. Thai was Mr O’Brien’s part, as Mr McKane has pointed out; likewise, >he late Mr Massey, at Otira, when he said at the opening of the Tunnel, that were he inclined io do so. they could rely on' Mr O’Brien not letting him forget his promise of the grant. Thus, while' nobody h:L questioned the claim that the R.S.A. originated the proposal, nobody, in the light of the words of the late Mr Massey could fairly deny the correctness ot Mr MeKane’s view that the actual work of going after the gran* and securing it was that of Mr O’Brien. It was not to detract anything from the R.S.A. that Mr O’Brien mentioned the matter at' his reeent meeting, but to rebut charges which had been levelled at him. one of which was that if he were elected, no Minister would take any notice of him and they would not get anv Public Work votes. Mr O’Brien referred to the fact that in 1922 lie had promised to endeavour to get the Old People’s Home erected, and before th e next election the work was accomplished. He was present at t»e official opening, though for some reason or other he did not appear to be a welcome guest, and on election day he found tha* even the old people in thp Home had been told that he had had nothing to do with it. Apparently there are those who would tell the same tale'to the general publie.