FIFTY SHILLINGS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3616, 22 March 1927, Page 2

FIFTY SHILLINGS.

“NOT ENOUGH TO LIVE ON.” RETURNED SOLDIER’S PENSION. Auckland, Alarc h2l. An unusual case was heard in the Magistrate’s Court before Air W. Cutten, S.AI., in which a returned soldier, Arthur Stafford, sought to recover from Sir James Gunscn (president) and Air T. B. Hay (secretary) of the Auckland Patriotic War Relief Association £SB 2s 6d. The clerk intimated that the hearing fee of 25s had to be paid, but plaintiff said he could not pay it until he got his pension. Plaintiff said lie came back wounded from Gallipoli and got a military pension, but he had been refused further assistance by the Patriotic Association. Mr Cutten: Surely the Patriotic Association has the right to administer the money it holds on trust? Plaintiff: That- money was raised for returned soldiers. Air Johnstone said Stafford returned to New Zealand seriously wounded. He had a military pension of £4 a month. In 1920" ho went to England and came back in 1925. From time to time the Patriotic Association had supplied him with small sums of money. Plaintiff was now getting a military pension of £1 a week, and also an economic pension of £1 10s. He had asked for his board to be paid, but the » Association thought that a single man with £2 10s a week should be able to pay his own board. Plaintiff stated that £2 10s was not enough for a man to live upon. “I am appealing for justice as a British-born subject,” he added. Mr Cutten said the Court had no jurisdiction as to how the Patriotic Association should administer funds under its control. He would, however, adjourn the cake to enable plaintiff to pay the hearing fee.