MARRIED ON RELIEF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 151, 28 June 1934, Page 10

MARRIED ON RELIEF

RETURNED MEN’S PLIGHT I APPEALS FOR ASSISTANCE WELLINGTON, June 27. 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 mucn concern. At a meeting of the association yesterday, at which Mr. L. O. H. Tripp presided, it wps reported by the applications and emergency committee that Giiring the last six months eight applications had been received rrorn such men. The comm.itee 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 f bat of a man who married last April while unemployed and sixteen years after being discharged jiom the Army. He is now reej ving 17s 6g per week, and applied to the association just after his mar iage for assistance on the ground that he could not support himself and his wife. Tire second case concerned a man who war married last month while receiving 13s 6d per week as relief pay for a single man, the amount being increai'i'd to £1 6d after be married. He was discharged from service seventeen years ago. Three days after his marriage he could not provide fur 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 n °t suffering from war disability, had received assistance from two other organisations tn Wellington and had been generously helped by tho IVar Relief Association. Tn a brief discussion on tne 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