RETURNED SOLDIERS' CLUB

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 5, 1 October 1918, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS' CLUB

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY

THE QUESTION OF FINANCE

The third annual general meeting of tho Wellington Returned Soldiers' Clubhouse Society was held last night. Mr. J. P. Maxwell, chairman of the Management Committee, presided, and Sir James Allen (Minister of Defence), the Hon. A. M. Myers (Minister of Munitions), and tho Hon. D. H.Guthrie (Minister of Lands) were present. There was a moderate attendance of members. The chairman, in moving tho adoption of the report (a precis of which has been published) and balance-sheet, stated that the cost of running the club for the year had been £1419. There were over 2500 military members. The committee had trenched upon assets to tho extent of £JBl in order to meot expenditure, and had now a sum , of £1365 in hand. The club had been excellently managed during tho year and the property had been well maintained. Mr. Maxwell mentioned tliat the conveniences of the club had been placed at the disposal of all returning soldiers passing through Wellington. The management was carried oil by the returned soldiers themselves, with the assistance-of a civilian committee. The club was able to give much assistance to returned men who were in search of work. It undoubtedly was of substantial value to returned soldiers, and the committee felt justified in asking the publb to continue supporting the club until the forces returned to New Zealand. Tlio institution was always very busy when hospital ships and returning transports reached New Zealand, and this branch of would grow in importance in tho future. Mr. Maxwell added that the club had never been regarded, in its present form, as a permanent institution:

Mr. C» R. Smith, in seconding tho motion, said that tho club had done particularly good work in helping returned meii to employment and providing them with a home and a resting place while they were renewing acquaintance with civilian conditions. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. The following committee was elected: Civilian members—Messrs. ■J. P. Maxwell, E. D. Bell, A.' Gray, W, Sinim, M. Marks, and J. Macintosh; soldiers' members—Colonel J. G. Hughes, Ser-geant-Major Hudson, Messrs. J. D. Harper, I). G. Munro, D. Higgle, and .W. Morpeth.

• Sir Janice Allen congratulated the club on the good work that was being done. It was essential, he said, that -organisations of this kind should continue to bo non-political and non-sec-tarian. They had very important work to do within their own sphere. Sir James Allen spokp at some length on the subject of repatriation, as reported in another column.

Tho Hon. A. M. Myers and the Hon. D. H. Guthrio also expressed hearty appreciation of tho work that was being dono by the club. Mr. Guthrie said that all doubts he had ever had regarding tho usefulness of returned soldiers' clubs had been removed by experience of their work. Mr. Badger said that in his opinion the club was far from being a success. It did not fill the bill at all, Ht, had found the club dull and monotonous. The only activity nbout the plpcv was in the billiard room, where the'ehargee were lower than elsewhere. Hu thought that the society should be reorganised on iicw lines. The 2500 returned soldiers should be capable of carrying on a clul) of their own without eivilian assistance, and hfi would move that in the opinion of the meeting tho society should bo reorganised. Tho chairman niled that the motion would not bo taken on the present occasion. Mr. A. Curtaync said that the committee had taken into consideration the control of thp club and had decided that the time had not arrived for a change.

The Ministers were entertained at supper.