R.S.A. AND POLITICS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 305, 20 September 1919, Page 2

R.S.A. AND POLITICS

■' . . . . fc: — '. QUESTIONS''TO CANDIDATES. s . , The question, of formulating questions for submission to candidates tor Parliament was one of the topics touched upon by.tho meeting of the Wellington ■Returned Soldiers' Association' last night, Mr. J."IX. Harper, chairman of tho association, said ho felt there was considerable misunderstanding among .members of tho. association' regarding tho method of election of tho executive. There was not a member on tho, Wellington executive, that had not been elected at a general meeting of the association. , "','•"'' i^A voice: What was the average afer tendance? . j The chairman: "All I can say is. that we sent out' notices 'up- to the number of 2000, but the'attendances were seldom more than 300 to dOO." Continuing, Mr. Harper' explained the method of. selection of delegates to the annual terencG of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers'' Association. The delegates were elected at general meetings, and at lho~ annual conterenco policy decisions were arrived at which we're adhered to by tlio local associations. The national, executive was governed only by the policy decided upon at the conference, bo tar. as politics were concerned tho plattoruv of the association wus nqn-political, but ho was not averse to questions being a«kcd of candidates for Parliament. But ho preferred that tho questions should be uniform and should be asked of every 'candidate throughout the country, 'iha. association could not direct how the members were to vote at the elections, but the questions drawn up should be submitted to the national executive of the association. Mr. .T. M'Keuzio moved, and Mr. A. Kyle seconded: "That a committee of six bo appointed to draw .up questions for submission to candidates tor Parliament." ■ ~,.,, . , , Mr.' A. B. Sievwnght said he trusted that the committee would draw, up questions dealing, with allowances, pensions, retrospective. allowances, and gratuities. . Ah amendment was moved and seconded that tho committee- should consist of "twelve members'. • Tho amendment was lost and the mo. tiou was carried. Twelve members were nominated for tho committee, and ]>y a majority vote of tho .meeting those nominees present "paraded" on tho platform so that the meeting "could have a look at them." In order that the meeting could J.scitss the subject of gratuities, the countiiv; of the ballot papers was posWo.'ied until this morning.