THE LATE TROOPER STREET.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1916, Page 7

THE LATE TROOPER STREET.

lo the Editor. Sir,—l have read Mr. Baron's k'iter, and am not the least surprised at the contents. He challenges me, a defenceless woman, to prove my statcmc/it and remedy it in a Court of Justice. Unfor. innately there was no written agreement, but. my letter of the ]4tli was a true statement of wliat was arranged and agreed to, as my husband, my son, and 1 understood it. Only for Mr. Baron's premise my husband certainly never would have left his home. Mr. Baron Knew my son Frank was working in Mr. Folah's motor garage.. The boy worked for the firm of Dimock for three (lays of the week, so as 1 should have the pav, and the other three days for Mr. Hokih for himself. Mr. Holah recognised the honorable errand for the Empire's cause, as well as for himself, on which my husband had gone, and he generously paid my son his full week's wages regularly Although lie only worked the half week, Mr. Baron says his firm were not satisfed, and in spite of repeated warnings r.o improvement was shown. The improvement, 1 suppose he means, was bigger supplies of pigs, which the farmers told me they had not got. .Several factories in our district had gone in for cheese, and pigs had not been raised as in previous years. Dozens of farmers told me their sons were in the trendies and they were unable to raise pigs, or cart them, but every farmer I canvassed assured me when they iiad pigs my son r-ank should get them, and, to use their own words, "We promised Charlie to support the lad, and so we will," and so they liavo done. Up to the date of my writing and publishing my letter I had received no reply from ti.e Jfrm. The icply I received was on the morning of the lath, the night after my letter was published. Surely the firm,' as well as :i e manager, must recognise my husband went to protect their factory as well as themselves. Had he gone on a pleasure trip I could quite well understand the treatment, but for a married man with

;; wife mid four little children,to willingly enlist and make the .supreme sacrifice of hi* very life to protect others and to enable us to live in safety, I liiink. tho very least recognition the '.iin he represented could make was to abide by the verbal agreement made. My lir.sband told his solicitors and every .firmer who came with nigs after he arranged to go to camp, and also when on lus final leave he bought and said goodbye to the farmers, that the manager had accepted my son for two or three years or until is return, and I am positively sure every farmer to a man will bear out my statement. I know it is Mr. Burke's and ilr. Baron's word against my dear husband's, my son's, and my own, and I will allow the public and the farmers to form their own opinion. My husband twice got special leave from Fcatherston Camp and went to Wellington to see the manager, and on both occasions found him oui of town, so it was no fault of his he did not see. Mr. Baron, and had Mr. Baron written before my husband left New wa'and and told him lie war, not satislied with my son, my husband would have had a chance, to arrange ample provision for myself and my little ones, during the five or six years my husband was buyer for the firm he always got full pay, and my son was supposed.to receive the same. I only got hill pay by asking for it. Again, my husband was paid once a month, and I never knew, and I'm sure he did'nt, that lie was only a weekly hand. Mr. Baron accuses we of making an unwarrantable .ittack on him, while I think the boor, is f.n the other foot. I promised the dozens ef fanners who signed the petition in favor of myself and my son to lot them know the result. To get a reply T had to wire Dimoek reply paid, and my easiest way to notify the farmers was to jublish the reply through this valuable paper and thank them all. I trust this bitter experience to me will he a warning to any married man with a. young family who is thinking of going to the reference to all business matters. The front to have an agreement in writing in one and only statement I made that I ivish to apologise for is that I said Mr. John Burke was to take the place of the N'ew Plymouth buyer. I should have said "Mr. Burke will keep an eye on the district until some definite appointment is made." My grateful thanks to yoiv Mr. Editor, for publishing this for me, and anything further Mr. Baron has t<say I trust he will say it of me only, as my grief is too fresh and my loss too sacred to have a word said in doubt, of my husband, who has always been an honorable, straightforward and truthful man, and has proved his worth by giving lus noble life for the establishment of lustiee, liberty and righteousness. Any further accusations of Mr. Baron's ov Mr Burke's I. must ignore, as T wil' not further discuss matters.--!! am, etc. MINNIE STREET.