FAMILIES IN DISTRESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16021, 13 September 1915, Page 5

FAMILIES IN DISTRESS.

BREADWINNERS AT FRONT.

RELIEF COMMITTEE'S WORK.

TYPICAL CASES CITED.

Ax impression of the excellent work accomplished by the Soldiers' Relief Committee of the Auckland Patriotic and War Relief Association is conveyed m extracts from the correspondence of the committee furnished to a Herald representative on Saturday. It was stated by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, on Tuesday that the Relief Committee, the chairman of which is Mr. V. J. Lamer, had dealt with 547 applications for assistance, and that there were now 60 cases in hand. The particulars supplied concern a few of the applications for relief that have been dealt with by the committee during tile past fortnight. " We have made inquiries from the local Defence representative, but cannot get any satisfaction with regard to the position of the following cases of distress," wrote the guardians of a family residing iji North Auckland. "We trust you will pardon us . in addressing you, but from the accounts •we have read in the papers, wo are sure | everyone is grateful to your association ; for the interest it has taken in eliciting information, when others who should only be too willing to help have hardly condescended to listen to an appeal. As guardians, we relate the following facts for your attention : —Two young men named — left New Zealand with the Main Expeditionary Force. The former was killed on April 25, and .the latter was wounded, and is now in England. They were sons of a widow, whose family numbered nine, four of whom were under the a<?e of nine years. The mother met with an accident and died about the date the force sailed. The two sons were the main- , stay of the family, and the amounts allocated by them from their pay went to keep the home going. With regard to one of the son's allowance— left three shillings a day to his mother, brother, and sisters nothing has been received since May 8, fc \ the date We received a telegram from the Minister for Defence, announcing nis death, and, with your kind assistance we may bo able to ascertain whv this greatlyneeded amount ceased. j Children Dependent on Charity. ' " The departure of the two sons, fol- ' lowed immediately bv the death of their mother," continued.the letter, "caused the home to be broken up. and the children are left in very poor circumstances, being now entirely dependent on the generosity of friends. We shall be only too milir-g to furnish you with any further information, but the above notes are the plain facts, and you can realise that the children are greatly in need. If you can do anv- I thing for their welfare we will be exceedingly grateful." The letter was written on August 27, and three days later a telegram was sent by Mr. Lamer to the guardians forwarding a sum of £10 for the immediate necessities of the children, and assuring them that the case would be given the fullest consideration. The facts were laid before the Minister for Defence by Mr. Earner in a * ram despatched the same daV The children are thrown on the hands of charity, ' telegraphed the chairman of the Relief Committee. "I would again urgently plead that the allotments made by our soldiers killed in action be continned until the Department has investigated each case, otherwise severe hardships will be thrown on many of the wives and families of those who have sacrificed their lives for the Empire." Seply from Minister for Defence. The Minister's reply, dated September 1, pointed out that the allotments of the two soldiers were made payable to one of the guardians, who brought the case under the notice of the Relief Committee. " Kindly advise if dependents benefit under this arrangement, if so it will be continued," stated the Minister. " The War Pensions Act authorises continuance for dependents only. I regret that payment cannot be continued without any evidence of dependency, as the Government cannot afford to pay relatives in comfortable circumstances."

The contents of this telegram were forwarded to the guardians, with the intimation that the Department would continue for 26 weeks to forward the allotment made by the son who was killed. "In the meantime," wrote Mr. Lamer, " I would recommend you to prepare a statement to submit to the Pensions Board for its consideration with a view to obtaining a pension for the orphans of the fallen soldiers under your care."

A Claim for Deferred Pay. Another case of distress was brought under the notice of the Relief Committee by the Defence Department in Wellington. It was stated that the mother of a soldier had represented that 6he was in necessitous circumstances, and had made a claim for the receipt of her son's deferred pay. The committee was asked to make inquiries, and it was found that the facts were as stated. Since her son had left for the front, the woman had, through illness and other causes, been unable to pay her way. The committee acquainted the Department with the facts of the case, and, until such time as the deferred pay was available, agreed to give her financial assistance. No refund would be expected of any amounts so paid by the committee.

Wife and Pour Children Destitute. " I have no money to support myself and four young children," read the declaration of an Auckland soldier's wife, made before a justice of the peace. "While my husband was in Trentham he forwarded me money regularly to the extent of £1 a week, but since he left New Zealand I have had nothing. My husband states in his letters to me that he left me 4s a day, to be collected by me at the Post Office."

In answer to the committee's inquiry, the Department stated that the sum of £17 13s, accumulated deferred pay, would be forwardeß to this soldier's wife, and in future an allotment of 4s per day from the man's pay would be made. A somewhat different case was that of a soldier who wished his wife and two little children to receive his deferred pay. This, with a separation allowance, would mean that the family would receive from him 7s a day. In letters to his wife, the soldier stated that he desired this course to be taken, but he did not know how to give effect to his decision. This difficulty was overcome by the Defence Department, to whom the letters were forwarded by the Belief Committee. "I have to inform you that payment of deferred nav will he made as from September 1," wrote the quartermastergeneral from Wellington. "The letters enclosed by you will require to be retained by me as my authoritv for pavment until proper authority for such is received, for which I am writing to Egypt " The contribution of 7s a dav to dependents ie the largest that has come Tinder the notice of the committee, the soldier concerned being, of course, a noncommissioned officer.

" Showing a Brave Front."

" I came across her quite by accident, and she i« showing a brave front: but it is clearly a trreat straggle," wrote an Auckland citizen, referring to the ca.se of a widow, whose eldest son had been reported missing. The soldipr had made no allotment of his pat-, and ths family was apparently living on the scantv wage earned bv the brother, a boy of 15. Investigation has been made by the committee into the farts of the case, and

thev have been foiled substantially correct. Temporary assistance is now heme given, until the Defence Department is in pos c ession of the necessary evidence to enable it to make an allotment from the missing; man's pay.