A SLUR ON CONTINGENTERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 604, 4 September 1909, Page 10

A SLUR ON CONTINGENTERS.

: ' .; .LEGALAOTION POSSIBLE. ■■"■ Illy Tolußrnnii.i-.SpiiiilalKiiirrosnniiiicni.) , . ;■''.: ; . r " ClnistoliUrc'nj Soptembor % ■ A.nsectingbf ittcm'bo'fsVot' the contingents that', were ■' sent. frori\: NewV.-Zqaland - Africa was. held' last evoning' to''consider a statement , -published' in tlio.; , 'Vanguard" to tho effect that :tho increase'"'of'.dmnkehness in New Zealand was;partly, attributod to. tbo drinking habits of' maiiy,' retunied troopers. Tho article complained ot> was written by Mr. G: B; Nicholls (organiser\to:tho No-Liccnso party.in.Otagoand Southland). , ■'••":.■■'■■ - . :' The'meeting was; ■called at.tho request of •tlio- Southland;•Keturned 'Troopers' Association,' and ..'there- was'an; attendanco of 'about .twenty. ' The.; Southland 'Association wreto stating that the allcgatioiu was false and a : slander'on: tho fiv'o 'thousand '.Now Zealand who-hadA'servtd- in South Africa; ■A" meeting' m luvercargiir ■ had-' placed tho matter,in the h'anfls of 'a-solicitor, who had ■written to .Mr. • Nicholls demanding a complete withdrawal of. the ' statement, and a straightforward apology,, in default of which ficfion-would betaken. .' ' It was decided that the meeting .should express its indignation at the statement of Mr. Nicholls,'aud ; '■:. a'gteo -to '-. support the Southland 'Association-iiithcmatftoi' of legal expenses. .;' '.■<-"■ ■■.•'.■■'■;.■■ -- .■;•";.' ,■ , •'-'■ ■'.- Ono speaker remarked that jt had'been im•possible, while oh "service, 1 to get'drink, except an occasional totjof-'-.ruiii. -Another said that he had been .in close'tduoh with hundred returned trobpers, ,and the majority of them; like ;himsejf,; were not fond of liquor. Ho was a teetotaller.. It was"also asserted that Mr'. Nicholls was judging the ■whole of tho troopors-by.a few who had misbehaved themselves. ■ The others had made a hard struggle to , keep >tlieir heads- above water, and make a. good name for themselves j. and, at ■ any rate, it was eight years since the last man. returned, and nobody had ever complained of the.men's'habits before.