Write a commentWonder did we get a captured German Gun?
Frontier Sentinel 20/11/1915
At the meeting of the Newry Urban Council on Monday, Mr H.J. McConville, J.P. (chairman) presiding -
Mr Fisher said that he had seen in the newspapers that the War Office were now giving out guns captured from the Germans and as Newry had done perhaps better in proportion to anywhere else in sending men to the colours, the Lord Lieutenant having referred very well indeed to the matter of Newry’s percentage, he thought they should ask Mr. J.J. Mooney, M.P. , to make an effort to have one sent to the town of Newry. It was as little as they could do to do so. Dublin and Belfast were getting guns, and Newry in proportion to it’s population, had done better than either.
The Chairman agreed that they should endeavour to get a captured German gun, remarking that he had seen that Mr. Mooney had already been on the job in the House of Commons.
Mr Kerr thought that they should get one of the best of the guns. Mr. Fisher moved that Mr. Mooney be written to on the matter.
Mr. Grant said he was very glad to have Mr. Fisher there that day, as he wanted to draw his attention to the scandalous state of affairs existing as to the way the allowances to the dependents of men was being distributed in Newry. Some people were being well paid and others were not being paid at all. He thought that this matter was more important to the people of Newry than the getting of a captured German gun.
A lot of men had joined the army believing their dependents would get so much and they had the greatest difficulty in getting anything. Speaking as a member of the Pension Committee, he must say that they had a considerable amount of difficulty in getting anything more than 3s 6d, the amount contributed by the soldier, while some only got 1s, and others practically nothing. Mr. Fisher took a great interest in recruiting, and he thought this matter was more important to the mothers of boys who had joined the army.
Mr. Fisher said he could assure Mr. Grant that he and Mr. Johnston were voluntarily writing sometimes as many as seven or eight letters a day to try and get better allowances for these people. It was a great grievance and he and Mr. Johnston had both told the War Office time after time that it was ruining recruitment in the district. They were up against something on which they could not make any impression. The case however was scarcely as bad as Mr. Grant had stated.
Mr. Grant - It could not be worse
Mr. Fisher said it was a terrible state of affairs, undoubtedly, but they had done all they could.
Mr. Kerr - Is it insufficient allowance or delay in paying it?
Mr. Grant - Both insufficient allowance and delay. He gave one instance where a woman got 1s 4d from the Government and spent 1s 8d in sending out a parcel to her son at the front.
Mr. Fisher - These women send to their sons at the front more than they get from the Government. It goes away in postage. The Chairman said that the attention of the War Office should also be called to this matter.
Mr. O'Rorke said the War Office seemed to be trying to economise in this matter. The last time he had been speaking to Mr. Mooney he had told him that he would push this question as far as he could, but nothing had been done.
It was decided to draw the attention of the War Office to this matter, and also that the Clerk should write asking Mr. Mooney to make an effort to have a captured gun sent to Newry.
