WIFE AND SEVEN CHILDREN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16566, 14 December 1915, Page 2

WIFE AND SEVEN CHILDREN

THE HUSBAND VOLUNTEERS'.

At the meeting of the Otago Patriotic and "General Welfare Association, held yesterday morning, a letter was received from r£ r n • Wllson ' hon. secretary of the Otago 1 atnotic and Recruiting Committee, asking if the association could place a sm.-ill sum of money in the hands of the Relief Committee for the purpose of assisting the dependents of men passed fit for service, subject to hospital treatment, as the committee had found that there were a few cases where recruits had had to undergo hospital treatment, and in the meantime no money was being received by their dependents. It was decided to vote the sum of £25 to the Relief Committee. At a later stage of the meeting Lieuten-ant-colonel Stoneham, in moving the adoption of the report of the Recruiting Committee, thanked the association for voting the £25. Illustrating the need for some

euch fund, he said that one man, who had a wife and seven children, had been passed as medically fit, but had to go to the Hospital to undergo an operation. This money could be used for supplying any necessaries to his dependents while he was in the Hospital. He (the speaker) • had told this man that he should not be permitted to enlist, but the man had replied that the others were not going, and someone would have to go. The medical authorities had to examine any man offering, and if he was physically fit then they had to pass him, no matter what encumbrance, in the way of dependents, he might have. It was really for the department to say whether that man should have to go. Under the existing conditions his committee had no power to assist men until they went into camp. . Mr Speight said money had been provided by the general public already. The Welfare Committee was looking after all the families that had been brought under its notice. He took it that the. man was going to the Hospital for the purpose of undergoing an operation to enable him to go to the front. To him it seemed scandalous that such a thing should bo allowed. Colonel Stoneham said the operation was to remove varicose veins. They really had no option here, because if the man was refused it meant giving the authorities a discretion they were not entitled to. If a man enlisted the doctors simply had to examine him. He understood that the committee dealing with the relief funds could not assist,the dependents of a man until the man left for the camp. The man in question had not been passed yet as fully medically fit, and unless the operation was successful he would not be passed. Until he was passed or " turned down " his wife and family would have to be looked after. Mr Solomon said it appeared to him inconsistent to say that the man should not enlist, and yet to ask assistance to enable him to do so. Hf quite agreed that the attitude taken tip by the man was of the ver s best, but they had a duty to perform. He should not go to the front, when there were able-bodied men in the community, without wives or families, who could enlist! Colonel Stoneham said ho held very strongly that some men should not ,be allowed to go, and the department should draw the line somewhere. He thought a man with a wife and, say, four children, should not bo Ullowcd to go—in fact, that any man with a wife and'family should not be permitted to enlist until the other lists had been exhausted.

Further referring to the report, Colonel Stoneham said that there were manv men in the country who had stated that if they were only 20 years younger they would be off to the front He took it that if these men were not able to go themselves they should do their best to remove tho disabilities of those more eligible to enlist, and show their patriotic spirit in helping to raise any money required.

Mr Solomon said ho was strongly of opinion that any man who complained that he could not go to the front himself because he was too old, and was not prepared to give montarv assistance to enable another to go who could not otherwise go, was a hypocrite. t The Chairman (Mr Clark) remarked that the committee had found employment for 16 discharged soldiers. He believed that, no firm could show its patriotism morej than by giving employment to the returned men whenever possible. Mr Solomon said they would be pleased if any firm which had a vacancy in its staff which might be filled by a returned soldier would communicate with them. At the close of the meeting Mr Loudon (chairman, of the Relief and Unempl- « lent Committee) arranged with Lieutenant-colonel Stoneham immediately to make full inquiries into tho case referred to in view of the opinion indicated by the meeting that, however willing and loyal the man might be, It was unfair both to his family and the State that he should go while numbers without responsibilities should hold back.