STRANDED NEW ZEALANDERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17689, 29 July 1919, Page 5

STRANDED NEW ZEALANDERS

SAD PLIGHT IN SYbNEY. (FnOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) CHRISTCHURCH, July 28. An old resident of Christchurch, who was among the Now Zealanders stranded in Sydney, arid who has just returned to this city, confirmed to-day the stories of want and suffering among those detained ou the other side. He himself became " broke," and with a number of otters called on the Government agent. Mr Blow informed them that according to the spirit of a cablegram just received from -Now" Zealand he had no authority to assist anyona except those in dire distress and who could get no assistance otherwise. As a consequence those who could do so were allowed to draw bills on tho Bank of New Zealand for three months or sis months, with interest. That was th» kind of generosity which had been stated Ministerially as tho relief of New Zealandei's stranded in Sydney. Ono day there was a procession of distressed New Zealanders through tho streets of Sydney. About 150 people marched through the main streets, and great was tho object lesson. To carry on and obtain food many of the stranded people had to pawn all they had, &nd had it not been for the assistance given by Messrs Wirth Brothers, Mr Fuller, and many anonymous cheques received, tho starvation point would have been more quickly reached by many of the New Zealanders. The contributions that were forthcoming enabled the committee which had been appointed, and of which Mr Batt was chairman, to relieve tho distress, and also recover all the pawned "goods. Many cases concerned those who were only able to obtain one meal a day, and ono man was for four days without food before his plight became known, while another stated that ho had had nothing to eat for 48 hours. Many of the women had ths greatest difficulty in making ends meet, and had to go to tho length, of pawning their wedding rings in order to save themselves from becoming a charge on some charitable institution.