CORRESPONDENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1932, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE

(To the Editor). Sir,—Being a returned soldier, and / requiring a. little assistance, 1 interviewed the 'secretary of the - .Returned Soldiers’ Association, . Air Paterson. ■ 1 stated my case, and what 1 required it for, namdy, to assist me to get to the back blocks to carry on mining prospecting which I have been at for six months oil the Government subsidy of -£3 a month, which is haimly enough to keep body .and soul together. However, I expected anything, but not that my request would be turned down. When I explained that there were special, funds for this particular purpose, and knowing from prominent members of the iR.S.-4. that they had received assistance, I 'felt 'I was justified in making application for assistance.

Included in my financial requirements ; wa,s a sum sufficient to pay my unemployment levy| I was told that I could do the same fis another returned sold.er, a resident of this town, had done—go to gaol and take it out. He is aifso a labourer. Nice talk from a man- holding a position in the Returned Soldiers Association, which is supposed to be a nompoUtical body 1 Evidently I am not on? of his colour, or 1 may have been successful. Now, Mr Editor, I don’t want to occupy too much of your valuable space, . but I hope some abler pen than mine will take this matter up and remind this “supposed”, secretary of the Returned Soldiers’ Association that we were not asked' our ■-.political colour, nor was any inference made to it before the Great War. I .have been through two campaigns in the last thirty-two years and if-think Ml- Paterson’s reply to me was not one that shoiild be handed to returned soldiers. • 1

I am, etc., JOHN JOSEPH BUSHER