SOLDIERS’ AFFAIRS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20042, 14 September 1939, Page 4

SOLDIERS’ AFFAIRS

HOSPITAL AGREEMENT INTEREST IN AUSTRALIA K. S. WILLIAMS .MEMORIAL An indication of the value of the hospital agreement arranged between the Gisborne Returned Soldiers’ Association and the Cook and Waiapu hospital boards was received at a meeting of the executive of the association held last evening, when a letter from a Queensland veteran expressed the thanks of his group of ex-servicemen for particulars of the agreement, which they hoped to apply in their own district. ;

In connection with the district agreement, which expired on the coming into operation of the Social Security Act in New Zealand, the executive received from the man-aging-secretary of the Cook Hospital Board a statement of fees charged against tjre-paid cases of returned soldiers and their dependents, and the amounts received in the form of prepayments. Between May, 1938, and April, 1939, fees chargeable against such cases on the ordinary schedule would have totalled £lOOl 7s, the statement showed: whereas the amount paid by the association on behalf of subscribers to the scheme was £454 10s. During May and June, 1939, fee* chargeable represented £2OB 19s, and fees pre-oaid bv tile association totalled £55 3s 4d.

Titirangi Park Domain

Further reference was made to the Titirangi Park scheme, the executive receiving a letter from the Minister of Lands warmly approving the proposals put forward by the association lor the eventual use of portions of the park area for memorial purposes. The president, Colonel R. F. Gambrill, reported that the deeds of the land comprised .in' the park scheme had been transferred to the commissioner of Crown lands, in pursuance of the scheme to constitute a domain board to control the area. He also placed before the committee'a contour map prepared toy Mr. E. Glanville, and representing much painstaking and valuable work on Mr Glanville’s part. / .

The committee placed on record it> appreciation of the generosity of Messrs. H. G. Tucker, Pare Keiha, Ruku Hinaki, and R. M. Barton, and also, of the members of Mr. Keiha’sfamily, who contributed to the success of the scheme. A vote of thanks to Mr. Glanville for his work on the map was recorded. Te Pula Domain A plan of the proposed domain to be established at Te Puia was placed before the committee, and it was mentioned that the members of the late Mr. K. S. Williams’ family had ap proved a suggestion that a district memorial to his work for the Bay of Plenty should take the form of a suitable gateway to the Te Puia park.

It was decided to invite sub-associa-tion committees of the Gisborne R.S.A. in the Bay of Plenty electorate to promote public meetings in furtherance of the K. S. Williams memorial plan, the object being to form groups of campaigners representing all sections of the community in support of the project. ,

The annual reunion was fixed for November 7, the first Show night, the secretary reporting that the City Hal l had been booked.