SOLDIERS' AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 127, 31 May 1919, Page 5

SOLDIERS' AFFAIRS

THE CONFERENCE AT CHRIST-

CHURCH

PAID ORGANISERS.

(B? TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

CHRISTCHTJRCH, This Bay. At the Returned Soldiers' Conference last night the Organisation Committee recommended the creation of four districts, each of which should call a conference of associations to set up a. district committee to consider the appointment and control of paid organisers. It was proposed that a rebate of 5s should be made for each member transferred from one association to another during the first three months of the financial year, except in the case of Rotorua. The proposed basis of representation of local associations at the conferencs was one vote for every 200 financial members, or a fraction thereof, provided that no more than five delegates be allowed to attend, nor any association should exercise more than forty votes. It was proposed that each of the four centres in conference should elect one vice-president and three members, except in the case of Wellington, for which five members were recommended. The . committee also recommended tha£ in the event of any district committee or local association desiring to alter the constitution of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, to allow such association to take political action, a- referendum be taken of the principal members of all the local associations throughout New Zealand.. Mr. Laing moved the adoption of the remit brought down by the executive, the main point of which was that district organisers should be controlled by headquarters, and not by district committees. The remit was rejected on the voices.

An addition was agreed to, that any district committee or Jocal association could enter another district with the consent of the district committee concerned, to combat any proposed alteration in the constitution, and that the headquarters should be empowered, with the consent of the district committee, to make or combat any similar proposals.

It was decided that the maximum number of delegates to the conference should be three, and .that associations with a membership up to 1000 havo one delegate; up to 2500 two; over 2500 three. ■

It was also decided that the baais re- • presentation be one vote for every five hundred members.

A clause proposing a referendum on political action was held over until next conference.