AN INDIGENT "KILTIE."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 434, 17 February 1909, Page 5

AN INDIGENT "KILTIE."

BEFORE THE BENEVOLENT TRUSTEES. A- New Yorker, lately a member of tlie "Kilties". .Band, yesterday made application .to the-Berievolent Trustees for assistance to-, wards paying his passage back to. New. York. His ■; story/was to the effect that while the band was at Temuka ho hurt his knee through - wrestling with; a fellow bandsman,) and in consequence' had to spend three weeks in:a private/Cdspita}.; During his absence,his: place 'in/the, band .was filled, and /when, as he was Hearing recovery from his accident, he wrote' to the; manager stating that ho thought 110 was not fit to'..continue,', on the tour, .'and :wished; ; to 'return: to America; his note was taken as. a notice of resignation. - The manager /replied/to' this effect,;'forwarded; three, /weeks'/ salary,' and disclaimed aU. further;lia-' : bility, .refusing to pay - the injured? irian's pas-; sago;home.'./It appears that .the-draft; agree--ment : '.drawn : up before the tour began freed ■the; management from all liability, in case of sickness, but even/ if .this, contract wero: void uuder -New- Zealfirid/law. it is doubtful-whe-, '.thef/compensation ; could/'be /claimed ; urider. theV: Workers' ; Compensation for Accidents. Act, since, the wrestling froiri/which: the: injury resulted could not come under the.bead-'! :irig of/employment./ :It .was merely; a' pastime 'got\up'.'amongst", the men themselves, arid riot a part of their work. A member of 'the board asked the ..applicant why his/fellow bandsmen did not take up his case, olid tho jinan . replied that they had paid his .doctor's expenses. ."But; won't/they/club together and.see that; you. get what you 'have.',"a':'moral'-right/to?"'.-"No," was' the reply, "twenty-five out of the •thirty of thein -are: Americansj /and they 'side; .with; the manager.'' ,''The/bbard instructed tlie. /secretary to. write /to th^ 1 manager, of the band ■explaining - the; case; to him. In, the mean-, /while;should,any/temporary relief .be require"?, it. will bo granted by' tho 'institution,// The man's' position is riot "a /bright'.one,' for /he. has a wifo and three children at IJfew Yo'rkj dependent upon the remittances/he '.might send out of his £3 a'week. N /:/ /..:, .