RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 195, 13 May 1920, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS

VARIOUS MATTERS CONSIDERED DELEGATES TO ANNUAL CONFERENCE The adjourned annual general meeting of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association ■ was held last evening, Mr. AV. Perry presiding over a very fair attendonce. • The first business of tho meeting was the election of delegates to tho annual conference. The chairman explained that under tho constitution of the N.Z.R.S.A. n curious anomaly existed. Onlv three delegates from each local association could actually sit at the conference, but tho Wellington association, by reason of its large membership of GBOO. was entitled to 17 votes. Tho meeting. therefore, would have to elect seventeen delegates, fourteen of whom would hand their proxies to the three gentlemen who would represent the association personally at tho conference. Mr. Perry said that the constitution had been amended at the October' conference in ordor to meet the position he had mentioned, but owing to several difficulties it had not yet been possible to bring the alterations into effect. The meeting thori proceeded to elect the thyee delegates to represent tho association personally at the conference, and the following were appointed:— Messrs. \V. Perry, A. B. Sievwright, and J. D. Harper. The remaining delegates whose proxies are to be handed to the three centlemcn mentioned were alsc elected by the meeting. Considerable- discussion took place regarding tho personal flies of returned soldiers. It was asserted that the polict had access to the military files of soldiek, which practice, it was held, should not be. allowed. Mr. M. Badger urged that' solicitors who were defending returned soldier-pris-oners should have the right to peruse the modical' files of their clients in order that full information should be obtainable for the preparation of the de fence. Mr. A. B. Sievwright contended thai all files should be kept inviolate behini tho doore of Base Records. .Information regarding military rcoordf could be obtained by solicitors from tlieii clients, or from the'tatter's friends. Mr. W. Bell moved: "That this associ ation views with great apprehension rum oura that tho private files of ex-soldierf are open to tho police, and requests th< Government to publicly reaffirm the ah solute inviolability of the secrecy of sue! filesi" The motion was carried unanimously. Mr. A. B. Sievwright proposed the following remit to the annual conference "That in all appointments to the Nev Zealand Staff Corps, offi cers of the N.Z.E.F, shall have equu opportunities, and members of the pre war permanent staff shall not be pre iudiced." The remit was adopted, Mr. Sievwrigh having pointed out that instances weri on record where pre-war permanen n.c.o.'s who had gained commissions ii tho field had, on return to New Zealand been compelled to revert to their non commissioned rank, and thus' been pre judiced *in securing appointment to tin Staff Corps. 11