BADGERING A BRITON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10115, 24 October 1917, Page 5

BADGERING A BRITON.

IN INTERESTS OF ENEMY FIRM. M.P.’S COMPLAINT AGAINST PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE. Dealing in Parliament last night with the clauses in the War Legislation Amendment Bill relating to enemy aliens, Mr W. A. Veifch, M.P. for Wanganui, complained of the manner in which the Public Trust Office was badgering Douglas Earle, tailor, of Wanganui, in the interests of an enemy firm, Earle, said the bon. member, who had had one brother killed at the front and had another still there, ho thought, owed money to the firm in question. When it was declared an enemy firm, its estate went into tho Public Trust Office; and that office, in their anxiety to settle up the estate, called upon this man to pay, and actually issued a distress warrant on his stock in order to secure the money ho owed tho enemy firm. Mr Veitch declared that that was a very absurd thing to do, because even if tho Public Trust Office got the money, they could not pay it over to tho enemy until after the war, and in the meantime if they only gave the man a reasonable chance to recover his business he, could meet his obligation, and the enemy firm would get the money as soon as it was possible for them to get it, anyhow. As things stood they might not get it at all.