APPEAL FOR UNITY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23962, 1 June 1943, Page 6

APPEAL FOR UNITY

1 RETURNED SERVICES’ ASSOCIATION A denunciation of “loose talk and disloyalty” in the Returned Services’ Association in Christchurch was made before the executive last evening by the president, Mr Colin Miln. At the annual meeting he had had to deny suggestions that he and other officers of the association had political motives in their work for the association. He had then made a clear statement that the executive had in view only the interests of returned soldiers, he said, and that a great deal of generous service was being done by the executive. He had then urged members to be loyal to their own association and refrain from gossip. It therefore came as a great blow to him to learn that during his absence at the Dominion conference in Wellington, a member of the executive itself had been “taking pot shots” at him and had been spreading a report that he (Mr Miln) had opposed any increase in pensions. “That is an absolute lie,” said Mr Miln. “I have always been a hard worker for an even greater pension than has now been approved.” There was here an interruption by Mr E. Orchard who said: "I presume you are referring to me, Mr Chairman. I admit quite frankly that I made statements along those lines; but I was discussing a newspaper report which stated that that had been your attitude at the conference. It was my utter surprise at such a change of what we know to have been your view in the past that caused me to express my disappointment. Since we have been acquainted with the true position there has been a bit of legpulling; but I think you realised that.” Mr Miln: Your statements were most out of place. Mr Orchard: They were not out of place. It’s fair comment on the report I saw. Mr Miln concluded by saying that the report was definitely misleading. He urged members of the association as a whole to make any complaints or objections of any sort directly to the persons concerned, and so avoid misunderstandings and disunity in the body.