EX-SOLDIER'S POVERTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19986, 30 June 1928, Page 12

EX-SOLDIER'S POVERTY.

FAMILY IN AUCKLAND.

COMMENT IN PARLIAMENT.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL P.EPOHTEE.] WELLINGTON, Friday.

.• "If such a state of affairs exists with the knowledge of those who have the handling of the enormous sums subscribed by the people during the war period and they have withheld assistance it reflects very little credit on them," said the Minister of Lands, Hon. A. D. McLeod, in the House to-night, when commenting on the case of the returned soldier who was found in ill-health and in distressed circumstances with his family -in an almost empty house in St. Paul Street, Auckland. Attention to the case was directed by Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) in his speech on unemployment. He contended it reflected- very little credit on the Government that. a. returned soldier should be in such straits. " One would liko to hear the history of that case," said Mr. McLeod. "One can hardly believe that assistance would not bo forthcoming from the Patriotic Association. Until the Government had had time to make inquiries, an extreme statement of such a nature leads one to believe that tho statements in the press concerning acute distress are not to be credited."

" The law will not permit the Patriotic Association to give relief unless the distress is caused by war injury," interjected Mr. J. A. Lee '(Auckland East).

" You know very well that the position is very different from that," the Minister replied. J ' The law docs not compel the trustees of the money that was liberally subscribed to be kont so confined. I feel quite sure that if the facts were brought to the Patriotic Association's notice before they were rushed into print something would have been done immediately to help the man."