A CASE OF DISTRESS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20448, 30 June 1928, Page 14

A CASE OF DISTRESS.

REFERENCE IN PARLIAMENT. DISTRIBUTION OF PATRIOTIC FUNDS. (Speciai. to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, June 29. “ 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 perod, and they have withheld assistance, it reflects very little credit on them,” said the Minister of Lands (Mr A. D. M‘Leod) 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, and he contended that it reflected very little credit on the Government that a returned soldier should be in such straits. “ One would like to hear the history of that case,” said Mr M'Leod. “ One can hardly believe that assistance would no be 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 the statements in the press concerning acute distress arc net to be credited.” “ The law will uot 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. “ The law docs not compel the trustees of the money that was liberally subscribed to be kept so confined. I feel quite sure that the facts were not brought to the Patriotic Association’s notice before they were rusned into print. Something would have been done immediately to help the man.”