POOR RELIEF

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2542, 1 July 1909, Page 5

POOR RELIEF

“BLACK SKIN BUT WHITE HEART.” A terrible threat has been held out to the Mauriceville County Council by a Crimean veteran who is in receipt of charitable aid," and who is not satisfied with .his treatment. The veteran is seventy-nine years of age, and liis wife is seventy-seven. They live in a fourroomed house which they own, and tho wife receives a pension of 10s a week. Tho Wellington and Wairarapa District Charitable Aid , Board has. already paid out between £2OO and £3OO in charitable, aid to the couple, who are still: in receipt of rations to the value of. 6s weekly. . : . , The veteran is not satisfied with', the assortment of rations he has been getting. He wanted tins of fish, tobacco and other luxuries included. On meeting with refusal he addressed the following letter to the Mauricevillo County Council, and it was forwarded to the authorities in Wellington in due course: “I only received yours of the 19th on Saturday afternoon, it being then too late to reply to it before the meeting of the council. Had it' been sent through the post I should have got it in time to reply. In future please send letters through the post. Will you ask the council if they think the food I get is fit for a sick man? “If I was in the wilds of Africa I should be better treated than I am here in a civilised country. There they have a black skin but’ a white heart; It is an old yarn, but a true, one, that they who jump out of the gutter are the worst of men—and if you can’t alter that diet please put me in gaol, or shoot me. That is what you want. “Please mix my tucker up every week and bring it round and serve it out with a long-handled shovel if you cannot make it any different. Tell the county that they are not out of the bush yet. If you want to starve me out you are going tho proper way about it.. I consider this is the worst county in New Zealand and their name should go through it in the papers — and in England, too. I have now been; here twelye months and the county have never sent a doctor or anyone else to see me. There’s a county for you I” ■ Replying to Mr McLaren at the meeting - of. the.. Charitable* Aid Board the secretary said the applicants had: applied* for’ luxuries so that they could spend' rpo’ro. of ..the pension on drink. The'.secretary .said last year the. man had cost the hoard over £BO. “When he’s ddwn' ayith’illness,” he said, “he’s most - expensive. When he’s up he drinks.” It was decided to inform the Maurice-, ville County Council that in the opinion of the hoard the council should add only tho bare necessaries of life to the pension cf the couple. i . j 1 :