MARRIED ON RELIEF

Southland Times, Issue 22362, 29 June 1934, Page 12

MARRIED ON RELIEF

RETURNED MEN’S PLIGHT. APPEALS FOR ASSISTANCE. The fact that a number of men who have married while unemployed or in receipt of sustenance have applied for assistance to maintain themselves and their wives has caused the Wellington War Relief Association much concern. At a meeting of the association on Monday at which Mr L. O. H. Tripp presided, it was reported by the applications and emergency committee that during the last six months eight applications had been received from such men. The committee had taken the view that such claims did not fall within its province. Details of two such cases were given by the committee. The first was that of a man who married last April while unemployed and sixteen years after being discharged from the army. He is now receiving sustenance at the rate of 17/6 per week, and applied to the association just after his marriage for assistance on the ground that he could not support himself and his wife. The second case concerned a man who was married last month while receiving 13/6 per week as relief pay for a single man, the amount being increased to £1 2/6 after he married. He was discharged from service seventeen years ago. Three days after his marriage he informed the committee that he could not provide for. himself and his wife. His brother also married recently while unemployed, and has also applied for assistance for a similar reason.

Prior to their marriage all three of the men, who were not suffering from war disability, had received assistance from two other organizations in Wellington and had been generously helped by the War Relief Association. In a brief discussion on the matter members of the association made it clear that they regarded the practice of men unable adequately to support themselves taking on the responsibility of marriage, and then looking to the community for assistance, as something in the nature of a social menace. It was decided that the association could not justifiably use its funds to help support the wives of such men.