"CREEPING AND CRAWLING."

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 142, 18 July 1929, Page 6

"CREEPING AND CRAWLING."

H. CORN.

To the Editor. Sir,— At the Hospital Board meeting Mr Priest is reported to have expressed himself, when referring to tbe friendiy societies' proposal re treatment in the Napier Hospital to friendiy society members, as coming "creeping and crawling" to the Hospiaa! Board — a very gentlemanly expression in itself, considering to whom he alluded, but 'he did not stop here, He went further and- said of the friendiy societies' members, "that he though't lcdgemen were a step above the riff-

raff." A more unjustifiahle slur casfc 00.' a body of respectable eitizens, is hard to conceive ■ and from. whom, mark you — a gentleman representing these people on a most huniane and! cnaritable institution. If his remarks as to "creepiug and crawliim" only, would have appeared, I would have cloubted if they had not been made inore in a friendiy vein towards the friendiy societies, than as a condemnation. One may truly refer to the societies'' attitude as "creeping and crawling" for what they have a peri'ect right to demand as due to them. Q.oes Mv Priest realise the tremenj&ws amount of good work the friendiy societies are doing — relievmg suffering both physical and economic? I do not wish to inform him of the usefulness of the friendiy societies' work. The ren.arks of Mr F. B. Logan and Mr H. Rill were suffieient to make Mr Priest blush for his over-zealous outburst. —

L am, etc.,

Napier, July 18, 1929.