New Zealand

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 68, 19 November 1915, Page 2

New Zealand

SOLDIERS’ WIVES AND FAMILIES i'KK TTIJSSS ■aSSUCIAIICi',. U elluigtou, iNovemoer 16. The lact Unix tiie wives ol some ol tne soldiers xu camp, or at the front, are dependent upon cuaritable aid for /the support oi themselves and their liauahes was mentioned at to-day’s 'meeting oi tne ■ V» eiungton Hospital ‘imaru . air i». it. Gardiner drew attention to tire growtii ol chantauie aid 1 expenditure, ine hoard was, lie said, t luemg penalised in a scandalous way in 'connection with enlistments, and no 'mentioned two cases ot married men going into camp amt leaning wives destitute. Apparently the Deienee uoparuncut made no attempt to protect inc wives i)y seeing Unit enlisted men 'allow a share o. tnoir pay to their wives, me Government slioukl make itself lespoiisihie for the families of men who joined the expeditionary forces. j nr 1). Campbell (chairman or Lite Cnuntablc Aid Committee; said ins committee would like to hear ut such eases, as it would taen approach the •military uutuomies witn Uio object of securing allocations Horn the soldiers' pay. j Mr F. T. Moore mentioned the hard lot ol interned enemy subjects. Ihe ■Hoard was giving rations to the wife oi one such man, hut she needed rent, j mo. me Government should provide (for these eases. It was right to intern the men, but a British community should not penalise the women. Mr C. M. Luke said the position of soldiers’ wives was a matter ol great importance. Apparently' a man could get away without disclosing that he was married, and while men wore in camp they were not compelled to provide for dependents. Mr F. Castle said that several cases had come before the committee, and he did not think the Defence authorities took sufficient care in the matter. There was no stigma attaching to a soldier’s wife who had to accept charitable aid, but the process was not fair to her. The cases of the wives of interned aliens certainly required attention, as several of these women wore dependent on the Board. The chairman, with Messrs H. Baldwin and D. Campbell, were appointed a deputation to make representations to the Defence Minister.