A Personal Explanation.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 199, 11 August 1916, Page 2

A Personal Explanation.

[TO THE EDITOR]

Sir, —1 beg tha favour of your caper to contradict a few statenunts made in your last issue concerning myself. In the first plac? I udmit I went to Auckland on Saturday leaving the two children behind. 1 could not get anyone to look alter ihi boy, so I left the Girl with hitr, but r.ot in the washhouse as reported. I Intended to return home by the train arriving at H. 15 p m., but 1 lost a parcel and through searching for it 1 niis3Cd tha train. The boy ar.a girl were given their breakfast and also a mid-day meal. The bjy had a fall on his head when he was ten months old, which deranged his mind, and he had a serious operation on the brain, and 1)2 is not accountable fcr his actions. His father, who is now on active service, has tried several times to get him put into an institution, but was informed each time that there was no room. As to the girl, well soma narrow-minded person reported to the police that I sent her to the Girl Scouts' practice.on Saturday ]U3t her olf the street. There is no truth in that, as she his been attending the practices all along, and did her part in the concert. My husband has gone to fight for freedom and liberty for t.is wife and family, but 1 ask where is freedom and liberty for mj if people lay false reports against me? 1 rosy mention that th 3 previous complaints made to the police took place immediately alter my husband left for camp; then Bomc person or persons told tha police that the boy was not treated properly because tie had wcod to chop. Now, this was lor the boy's own good, and it was by hit! father's orders, not mine, that le did it to strengthen a weak arm, which was up to two years ago paralysed from the fall. We were advised by medical men to try and make the boy use hid arm so that it would cause better circulation uf the blood, so his father gave him wood to chop. This had been going on for a vear in Pukekohc before his lather left, and he (my husband) has been on leave twice since. If these folks were so sure that 1 was not godd to the bov. why did they not complain to my husband? They waited until 1 was defenceless and was ill and then they went to the police, who ijund no reason to take action. Do the peorlJ of i'ukekohe think Ihis ii doing justice to a soldier's wife?— Yours trulv. - ELIZABETH McEVOY.