Premier and Mayor.

Opunake Times, Volume XIII, Issue 631, 26 October 1900, Page 3

Premier and Mayor.

Wellington, October 22.

On the last day of the session, the Premier, referring to the case of the widow of the late Lieutenant Berry, denied the statement attributed to Mayor Swan at a Napier borough council meeting to the effect that the Government had done nothing for her, adding that at the time the statement was made Mr Swan had in his pocket correspondence from the commandant to the contrary. Mr Swan prints in the Herald the whole correspondence. The first letter was sent from here (Napier) by the Mayor on the 7th of August, applying for aid for Mrs Berry. That letter was never even acknowledged. On September 6th, nearly a month later, the commandant telegraphed in general terms, ashing to be informed of disbursements out of local fund to any invalided members of the contingents or wives or families of men. Towards the end of September, a letter was received from Mrs Berry’s father, stating that no assistance had been given from the (government or any fund outside Hawke’s Bay''. This letter was read by the Mayor, who on September 27th wrote to the Defence Minister on the subject. That letter also has myver been acknowledged. Mr Swan emphatically declared that the only communication received was the communication from the commandant referred to.