THE BRETT BENEFIT.

NZ Truth, Issue 118, 21 September 1907, Page 1

THE BRETT BENEFIT.

•Everyone m Wellington remembers Ithe Brett Benefit, and as a very large number of citizens subscribed to that benefit, either directly or indirectly, they n xturally want to know the

meaning of the various reports that

have been going the rounds of the streets m connection with the rKspo-

sal of that money. "Truth" has been asked on more than one occasion by parties more or less interested to let a little daylight onto the 'subject • but refrained from doing so as. the matter was of a semi-private nature! and there was a possibility of everything being; amicably settled;.. Last week, however, an entirely hew , aspect arose, wQien the New Zealand Times Company sued the .trustees, of

the Benefit Fuo.d for £157 2s 9d owan? to tho sa.tt company hy Brett for papers. How any paper should allow arty runner to owb> - so . much money is not apparent, hut Brett confessed judgment, and so 'tKe matter ends. This case brought -..by ..the *' Times" against the trustees has

caused no -end of comitnent v ambng, people who a re interested m Brett's welfare, and they represent nosmail secfci.nof the community, as Brett's

lona; association with the Opera ' House lias made his name and face

familiar to ths majority of the citizens of Wellington. It is for this reason, therefore, that "Truth" gives the following history of the whole affair.

Some onionths back', -whilst Brett iwas on duty as usher m the *Dress (Circle of the Opera House, two young ruffians came along and made some disturbance at the ticket office. Brett interfered and was knocked down the Stairs and received injuries that confined him to his bed for many weeks and left him m a very bad state, even after he was aible to use his legs again and get about. Being so wellknown among theatrical people and frequenters of the theatre, a benefit syas suggested, and it was promptly taken up and supported by many of his friends. The Opera House Company lent the theatre free af cost, Mr J. C. Y/miamson, through Mr Bert Royle, lent the scenery and effects of "Robin Hood," and' the memlbers of that company gave their services.. Mr Ben Fuller also put at the .disposal >'of the committee & number' of his'artists, who were only too. pleased to give their services. Mr ' ; Mc^uiiimess undertook to arrange the programme and secured , some £20 o dd; towards •the fund, thereby. The newspapers tajave' their columns free of charge, ahd Mr Beck, of "the "Post," undertook, the secretarial duties. The/ benefit t o ok the form of a matinee, held ona Saturday afternoon, the, programme comprising a scene from ; "Rohan Hood" and a raumher of vaudeville ffcurns by Mr Fuller's people. .;- Altoeether the affair was a great success and the sum of £253 lGs 10d was the amount raised to be handed : over to flßrett, "'*'

Tt was regarding, the : disposal „ of . ftlw sum. that caused all the trouble/ nh?. committee were -not unanimous ms to ths method of its disposal.. OBretfc wrote asking, that the whole amount should be handed over to him",: statin? that it was a reflection, upon himself if he could not be entrusted .with the money. The committee subsequently held a meeting and by ___ large majority decided,, that . it . >?ould not be to . Brett's best interest lo hand the money over to him im. a Jump sum, the principal reason , for ihis being that as Brett- owed money m different r,uarters, his creditors might get the benefit of it. and,. not himself. It was finally decided that : Ithe money should be placed m the. hands of a trust of three of the committee-— Messrs Blundell, . Fuller and Beck. Various suggestions were Blade to Brett, but he absolutely re-' Bused to accept any money unless he flrere given the whole sum. This the fgyust absolutely refused to do, : and ,«& the njatter lay m abeyance. Brett 'sent the Trust a lawyer's letter demanding the money, but the Trust &ook advice and refuse*! to part up, hut expressed their intention, if there vras any more bother, of placing the money m the Supreme Court to be dealt with as the Court thought fit. Again pacific negotiations were attempted. Fifty pounds " were offered Brett to' liquidate small debts if he bo required, and money was also offered to send him to Rotorua for a ioli..ay to recoup. He would not lis/ten to either of these proposals, as 4te considered the public had given 7; td»oney -to bim and it ffrae lis by

right to do as he pleased with. He was quite confident that he could invest the money as well as th© Trust could and that it was v his right to do so- He also states that many people who attended the benefit would not have done- so had they, thought the money would have heen locked up for a Trust to- look after.

There is one important point, however, that, many who argue from- this standpoint seem to forget. The general puhHo who attended the benefit got their moneys worth. There was no charity about the cpneern . so. far •as the public were concerned. They paid theif ; money and saw a good show. . There may have been many who btought tickets, and. didn't > go, and many who bought tickets and did go who .-wouldn't have done So had it not been, ,a- benefit ; -but this does not alter the , fact that .whoever attended got good- valiue ; for. their money, thanks to the gentlemen mentioned at ths beginning of .this article. As to whether the committee . were right or wrong •m holding on to the money, "Truth" is .not go>i>ng, to give an opinion, but m the light of recent proceedings it would appear a very fine thing for Brett that they acted as they did. Had Brett received the full amount and paid the '"New Zealand Times" £157 2s 3*l out of it, there would have been less than £100 for himself. The Benefit would have Banned out thusly : "N.Z. Times" £157 2s 9d. Brett £9 G 14s Id. Not a Brett Benefit at all, but a "N.Z. Times" Benefit. No one can blame the directors of the "Times" for doing, their best for the Company, but when it comes Ao sueing the trustees of a benefit for a cripple, it is not playing the game. It is no wonder Magistrate Riddell reserved his decision. The cpjse is without parallel, and it is to be hoped) that when' it is decided, it will not be called upon as a precedent for many a long day. It has always been an unwritten law among commercial people that benefit m o ney is to be held sacred, at least until such time as the recipient has been ahle to % find his feet again. This action of the "N.Z. Times'! is one of the very worst this paper has ever heard of, and, if successful, will give rise to a howl of public indig-n-atipn, .The. idea of nearly two-thirds ofthe funds of a benefit, given, by the . public, for a well-known public servant ..who has been injured whilst on duty, being graibhed by a wealthy, or alleged wealthy, concern like the , .New Zealand. Times Company, is monstrous' m the extreme and deserving of the most severe censure. .It has been "stated that if the "Times" .are successful, a certain portion of the money is to be handed back to Brett. This would only make the matter more iniquitous and prove collusion, between the management snd Brett to defeat the trustees, so if that rumor should prove to , be correct, it will only make the case against the New Zealand Times Company look very ' miibh .worse. In the meantime, anyone... suggesting a "Benefit" m Wellington, is liable to be -maltreated, and the trustees are wishing devoutly that such things had never been invented or that they had been away on their holidays, or something, when the Brett affair was being organised,.