ABSENT SOLDIERS' FAMILIES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2623, 19 November 1915, Page 3

ABSENT SOLDIERS' FAMILIES

—5 HAVE TO SEEK CHARITABLE AID. When tho charitablc aid finances were under consideration at tho meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday Mr. B. E. Gardener mentioned a matter of considerable public importance, namely, the care of the wives and children of soldiers who have gone to the front. He instanced cases wliero married men had maxlo insufficient provision for their wives, and they had to seek diaritable aid. It was a scandal, he said, that this should be so. Li Levin, ho added, two such ca.sos had occurred. In one case a. man who had been earning £3 10s. a week went to camp, and left' his wife, with a child of twelve mouths, and the prospect of another, without a single copper. Sho had to fall back on the Wellington Charitable Aid Board. In the otlier case tho woman had three young children, and during the first month her husband was in camp she received only £1 from his wages. Tho result was sho had to go to live with a sister who herself was receiving charitable aid. He thought something was wrong. Ho understood that during the first months a man could do anything he liked with his pay, and no steps were taken to allocate money till the man loft the country. If the Government was taking men to fight for the country, and they were leaving their families without support, it was a scandal. , He thought theso cases wero occurring all over the Dominion. Surely someone was responsible for this state, and surely it was a disgrace to throw women on charitable aid when their husbands were going to fight for the country. He would not stop any enlisting, provided the men's families were provided for, but it was not creditablo that men should be taken under such circumstances. He did not object to the women receiving the aid, but they should have better protection. Mr. P. T. Moore agreed that representations should be made to the Government regarding the cases mentioned, and representations should also bo made regarding the families of interned enemy subjects. Special provision should be made for such cases. As Britishers we should see that the families of interned men were cared for. _ Mr. C. M. Luke commended the publicity given to the matter. He understood that married men had to leave a certain portion of their pay to the families. Mr. Gardener: Only when they leave the counti-y. Mr. Luke moved that a small deputation should wait on the Minister or head of the Department dealing with the matter. Sir. J. W. M'Ewan said that in' Pe-, tone they had a distress fund to care for the families of departed men. This was done rather than commit tho peoplo to the indignity of seeking charitablc aid. He thought that some of tho men were not sufficiently thoughtful of their families when making allotments. Personally, he thought that when the Defence Department accepted the services of married men they should accept all that:,,, .was .V. involved. No man's family should' be left worse off because th« husband whs at the war. ■. Mr. F. Castle thought that some of tho trouble was/occasioned through tho inen not sufficiently disclosing their position when leaving the country. Tho chairman of the board (Mr. H. Baldwin) and the chairman of the Charitable Aid Committee (Mr. D. Campbell) were appointed to lay the matter before the Government.