Feilding Welcomes Home Furlough Draft

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 62, 16 March 1944, Page 6

Feilding Welcomes Home Furlough Draft

LACK OF INTEREST ON PART OF CITIZENS There was a noticeablo lack of interest on the part of citizens in the welcome home arranged by the civic authorities at the Drill Hail on Tuesday evening, the hall being only half tilled for the event. There was an excellent attendance of members of tho draft which included those from the Middle East, repatriated prisoners of war and those from the Pacific theatre of war. The Mayor (Mr. T. L. Seddon) presided and in extending a warm welcome to the men said that wherever there was a tough spot New Zealand soldiers and women, too, were to be found, “and 1 doubt whether better or braver soldiers exist anywhere' ' (applause). “Wo have followed your exploits in the various theatres of war; we have been with you in spirit and you have been very near to us; we have prayed with you in tho dark days and we have given our thauks when the sun of victory shone on you* we have known the price that victory demands, and now you have come home to your afmilics and loved ones and to a well earned rest You have seen changes for the better in our fortunes. In this, the fifth year of the war, we can truly say that the period of preparation, training and i humiliating defeat has come to an end. The tide has turned and the great armies of Russia, China and the United States of America, together with those of the British Empire, are sweeping forward to victory (applause). Your part in this vital struggle will take a memorable placo in history and your valour and your deeds will be remembered in the years to come as a noble part in tho cause of freedom. “But in those years to come let us have no illusions. To win and keep the peace will be as nard a thing as winning the war. We shall need unity and cooperation at home and a great deal of the same spirit of self-denial and sacrifice as has been shown by our servicemen and women. At the cud of the war wo will be in various degrees of exhaustion, physical, material, financial and economic. The problems we will have to tackle will appear to lack the vital urgency of those of to-day. Nevertheless they will be just as urgent and essential and they will be complicated by tariffs, the vagaries of international exchange, a bitter struggle between international vested interests, the problem of depleted purchasing power and the difficulty of disposing of surpluses, all of which can boil over if not carefully watched into a super-mess of want and unemployment. We can, if we all pull together as a people and unify with other nations, solve these postwar problems. If we don't our men and women will have fought and died in vain. If wo are to keep faith with those we

honour this evening we must face up to ( the stupendous task of building a new ( fabric of happiness, prosperity’' and c peace based on the foundations of - Christian charity and brotherhood of all men.” (Applause.) |! Mr. Seddon read the following telegram from tho Prime Minister: “I 1 gladly join with you aud the citizens < of Feilding in warmly welcoming your, ' district servicemen who are home on! 1 holiday leave from the Middle East and 1 the Southwest Pacific. They have with , j their gallant comrades and Allies won • high renown in most arduous eircum- 1 . stances of war. Their achievements j have been rich in courage, endurance and perseverance. We are all proud of their fame and are deeply grateful for, their splendid services for New Zealand ■ and the preservation of freedom." A 1 telegram was also received from Mr. M.! H. Oram, M.P. (Manawatu), who wired: j : “ Very much regret una’/rc to attend j function to returned servicemen and) women to-night. Please extend to all congratulations on return and very best wishes." Mr. Oram also wrote a letter apologising for his absence on account 1 of Parliamentary duties. Mr. A. B. Shannon, chairman of the i Oroua County Council, extended warm, greetings on behalf of his own county; as well as the Kiwitea and Pohangina j Counties which were associated with the welcome. He said that citizens and settlers alike were deeply sensible of! the great part New Zealand soldiers,! sailors and airmen had played and werej playing in this war and he trusted that, those now on furlough would enjoy their well-earned furlough and rest. While members of the Forces overseas) were doing a wonderful service in the j cause of freedom, he was of the opinion j that we in New Zealand were not all doijig everything we could to assist the • vital war effort. Mr. F. J. Allen, president of the I Feilding branch of the R.S.A., extended | cordial greetings to the guests of the j evening and paid tribute to their acknowledged great services, recalling that the New Zealand Division had been acclaimed as the best shock troops j in the Allied armies. Mr. Mason Durie, on behalf of the Native race, offered a sincere welcome and said that the Maori people were proud to be associated with the welcome and to servo with tho New Zealand Division. Hcrgeant F. Rink replied on behalf of servicemen from the Middle East and Lieutenant G. Darragh spoke on behalf of those from the Pacific area. Tho formal proceedings concluded with the singing of the National Ail; them. Before and at the close of the proceedings the Feilding Municipal Band played several march numbers. Afterwards the guests of tho evening with relatives and friends were entertained by the civic authorities at a social gathering held in the Odd Fellows’ Hall. When approaching the Feilding railway station yesterday morning a goods train experienced trouble. The train had almost negotiated the points.taking it from tho main line to a shunting track when a truck apparently jumped the points and continued on down the main track. The train was moving slowly at the time and was promptly stopped before very serious damage resulted. The main track for a short distance was put out of alignment but the trouble did not interfere with the services since it was by-passed on another track. Gangers were smartly on the job and the trouble was remedied later in the day. A Feilding district farmer who is homo on furlough from garrison duty in the Pacific recently received a notice to report to the Manpower Officer in Palmerston North for direction into an essential industry in Wellington. He understood that he was required to enter some Public Works camp but took the opportunity of stating his attitude, which was that if he was not required to serve any longer overseas he would appreciate being returned to his farm which required his attention. It is understood that the question of his final disposal is now being handled by the District Primary Production Council and the feeling is that this farmer Bliould be back on his farm unless his desire to serve overseas is met.