R.S.A.

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 46, 9 February 1943, Page 5

R.S.A.

STOCK FOR FUTURE WHAKATANE EXECUTIVE DISCUSSION A meeting of the Executive of the Whakatane Returned Services' Association took place on Friday the sth instant. Present: Mr K. Runciman, president, Messrs Delves, McCallum, Luxton, Hawthorne, Kopae, G. W. Mexted, A. Hall, E. Currah, A. Nell,. J. Bryant,. C. F. Thomas and C. A. Head, secretary. Considerable (correspondence was dealt with, dealing with Pensions Rehabilitation and. the future of Soldier Settlers. Re Soulier Settlers, it was resolved that the following be submitted for publication:—"With poignant recollection of their own experience when setting out as farmers at the conclusion of the first. World War, the members of the Whakatane R.S.A. have adopted a plan which should be of. real service ito men who return from the present struggle and wish to commence farming. The R.S.A. has set up a committee of farmer members who have launched an appeal to farmers to promise to give, when called, upon, a springing heifer or a cow not older than rising four years. If the farmer wishes, lie may promise to give any other young stock, such as young bulls, horses, sheep or pigs.. This is the option of the farmer, who will keep the. stock on his property until it is wanted for use by a soldier farmer who has taken up land! There is also> freedom to dispose of the promised animal if the farmer wishes to c]p so> provided he has another animal to take its place when wanted. In this way, it is hoped that soldier farmers who need such help will be saved from the handicap suffered by their predecessors in the years following 1918, when demand for stock .caused prices to soar to uneconomic heights-. For the protection of the soldier, .the stock will remain the property of. the R.S.A., but it will be loaned free of charge to the soldier, who will become the owner of any progeny of the stock. The loaned stock will not be sold except in the name of, and with the authority of, the R.S.A., which will have the right to l donate to the soldier settler and/or his dependents, the process of the sale, of stock on loan to him, or to replace iit. This scheme, which is confined to members of the Second N.Z.E.F. service in the Whakatane County, possesses advantages that will be the envy of men who, through lack of such help and protection, suffered loss and hardship when they took up land after the, war of 1911-18. There will be a general hope that the farmers of the. county will cooperate heartily Avith the R.S.A. in its desire to give returned soldiers a chance to be placed, on the,ir feet as farmers Avhc.ii peace is reestabliislied.

The. secretary was also instructed to write the various dairy factories throughout the county seeking their co-operation in distributing circulars in connection with the above. Re Poppy Day: It \vss decide*] that the Poppy Day appeal be held on April 22.