A SOLDIERS' MOTHER.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16425, 20 January 1919, Page 8

A SOLDIERS' MOTHER.

— 4 — r.kzv. OF A2XEGED HARDSHIP. The following letter lias been addressed to the Hon. Arthur Myers, Minister of Pensions, -by Sir J. McCombs, M.P. "A case of extreme hardship and injustice has come under my notice in connexion 'with the administration, of one of- your departments. Five brothers enlisted and went to the front, one with the 2nd Reinforcements, and four with the first battalion of the Rifle Brigade. Four brothers left allotment to widowed mother as trustee, but with instructions to use what was required; for herself and crippled son (mining accident). On receipt of allotments mother's old age pension was stopped, although she received no soldier's widowed mother's pension. Son who has returned on duty furlough finds ( that illness of mother involving long ! period of nursing and doctor's bills will leave this family without money, and with a pile of accounts to pay. I understand that the Solicitor-General has given an opinion to the effect that allottees of deferred pay are trustees of the money unless otherwise shown, ( consequently old age pension should not have been stopped. In justice to this family, I think the least your department should do would be to 6ee that I the pension is restored, and full payment made for the period of 3} years during which the sons were at the front and tno pension has been stopped. I must explain that of the five sons all volunteers, one has been killed, and others wounded, and one has returned permanently disabled and quite unable to follow his calling as a miner. The « disabled son has been discharged without a pension, and the mother has been without two of the allotments for 18 months, in consequence of the death of one son, and the discharge of a disabled son. The son — — has placed these facts before me, and as your Department„ officers have no authority to pay back pension, even in view of Solicitor-General's decision, I am appealing to you to see that, so far as your Department is concerned, justice will be done to this family, j am writing the Minister of Defence regarding pension for the son who bag re . turned disabled*"