“THE FINAL APPEAL”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1061, 27 August 1930, Page 10

“THE FINAL APPEAL”

MAN WHO COULD NOT GET PENSION PLAN TO EXHIBIT BODY From Our Own Correspondent WELLINGTON, Today. A surprising story of how an Australian society determined to exhibit in public the striked and emaciated body of a man for whom they had failed to gain a pension, is told by Mr. A. R. Deeming, of Wellington, who has just returned from a visit to the Commonwealth. Tho incident, relates Mr. Deeming, occurred in Newcastle and the society was the organisation which styles it- [ self the “Australian Society of LPatriots.” The body had made repeated attempts to obtain a pension from t.lie Government for a man • named Loyau. These efforts extended over 12 months, Loyau having gone to the organisation and told them of his . inability to work. He had been cripI pled for years, had received a few j shillings a week as pension and lived iin a shed. ! The Society of Patriots took up his case and sought to win an invalid penj sion for him, so that he might live in comfort, as he had been certified as fit i for work and his pension had been i taken away. LAST APPEAL Failing in its efforts, the society announced that it would resort to the last appeal possible. Stripped of his clothing, Loyau would be exhibted at a public meeting and citizens would be invited to form their own judgments. This remarkable step was announced as the exhibition of “a man who has been given official permission to starve.” The society wrote to the Commissioner of Pensions and also to the Federal Prime Minister, Mr. J. H. Scullin, informing them of its intentions, drawing their attention to the fact, that the move was likely to affect the standing of the Pensions Department. However, when the time came for the meeting it was not held as Loyau was seriously ill.