EXTRA PENSIONS TO CRIMEAN VETERANS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9027, 9 March 1891, Page 2

EXTRA PENSIONS TO CRIMEAN VETERANS.

The following letter, which appears in tho li-ish Labour World, speaks for itself :—: — Sir, — Will you kindly make it known, through your valuable paper, that the first public meeting of the Old Veterans' Association (Glasgow Branch) will be held in the Trades' Hall, Glassford street, Glasgow, on Tuesday, November 25th, doors open at 7.30 p.m. The chair will be taken by Bailie Simons at 8 p.m., prompt. Some of the Old Veterans of the Glasgow Branch will also speak, giving a detailed account of the privations, hardships, and hunger, which they had to suffer during the first winter in the .trenches before Sebastopol ; also their sufferings from excessive marches and a scorching sun during the Indian Mutiny. Deputations from Dundee, Aberdeen, &c, will also give some interesting anecdotes on the above campaigns ; and the Glasgow Old Veterans hope that their comrades throughout Scotland will send a deputation to our meeting, so that they may see for thomselves the satisfactory way in which we are conducting the Old Veterans' Association. I have much pleasure to inform the old heroes that we have received a very satisfactory answer from his Royal Highness tho Duke of Cambridge to our petition. Our petition to his Royal Highness was to the effect that every old hero who fought in the above campaigns, and now drawing a pension, have a sixpence per day added to it ; and also all the men who fought in the same campaigns, and served ten years, oi over ten years, and were discharged without a pension, now receive a permanent pension ; and that all widows whose husbands went through either of the campaigns be allowed to draw their deceased husbands' pensions, or one half at least ; the other half to be defrayed from the Patriotic Fund. lam glad to be able to state that we have received a good many names from Ireland of old heroes who fought side by side with us in the above campaigns who wish their names to be enrolled in our association ; and I sincerely hope that every old veteran in Ireland will lorward his name to be enrolled. They then become members of the association, and receive a ticket for the same. I should also like the heroes in England to come to the front and give us their assistance to our just cause. I think what informati »n 1 1 have given you in my letter will be sufficient for any who read it. — I am, &c , Thos. C. Auld, Treasurer. 49, South Wellington-street, S.S.