ALL PRESENT?

NZ Truth, Issue 1145, 10 November 1927, Page 5

ALL PRESENT?

Jacob's Ladder— Many

Mouths To Feed

(From "N.Z. Truth's" 'Special Dunedia.

Rep.)

Small wonder was it that when, the .name of Jacob Coory was called m connection with the maintenance of a child at present m the care of the State, a bright-eyed youth should step forward. "I am not Jacob, sir. I am Michael. I am taking my father's place. He is at work to-day. . ." YES, Jacob was at work that day and * a day's work meant something to him. He has to feed the twenty hungry mouths now domiciled under his none too spacious roof. . ' Now Jacob, an Assyrian, is like his Biblical namesake. He has a ladder to climb. And he has done well m this world of declining birth-rates and ever-soaring food bills. His own domestic circle boasts ten, m good round census figures. His married daughter and her children make the total twenty. Probably ,no man's customary philosophy can be expected to: remain unwarped when his j own domestic battalion of ten has a heavy. rearguard brought up m the shape of ten more— and those of a man who is not coming up to scratch. Jacob can scarcely be blamed for not coming to court. 'He works to a fine margin m the matter of rations. The house of Jacob is scarcely the sort of place for baby boosters to put propaganda under the door telling what every baby is vyorth to the State. When Michael had presented himself — m lieu of his father — to Magistrate Bundle at .■ Dunedin the other day, Senior-Sergeant Quartermain explained that the\ defendant, Jacob, was a) 'wharf laborer with a large family of his, own: ; V .' Added to his own difficulties was the fact that his married daughter, Mrs. Joseph Mansoor, was also thrown on his charitable tendencies with Her family of nine. The grand aggregate to house, clothe and feed was twenty. It was probably beyond the average wharf laborer. The trouble was that the man* Mansoor, who should have been supporting his own half-score of children, was m the North Island .arid not at all keen on coming up to scratch m the matter of maintenance for his wife and family.,