"ANZAC DAY"

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10605, 2 June 1920, Page 5

"ANZAC DAY"

ONE FOR COMMEMORATION". OPINION OF RETURNED SOL- • DIERS. An effort is to bo made by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association to have Anzac Day set apart as a day pf sacred observance, and to this end a lemit—from Auckland—was submitted at the annual conference of th© association yesterday in •which delegates were asked to instruct the executive to take action with the object of ensuring "that a bill bo introduced' during next session of Parliament providing that April 25th (Anzac Day) bo a statutory holiday as a day of commemoration as a tribute to tne memory of many thousands of New Zealand's sons who laid down their lives in defence of the Empire." "We have had some very fine comrades," said Mr J. Milling (Auckland), ''and I want to pay my tribute on Anzac Day to every one of those men whom I am not going to see again." He thought the Government had been dilatory m regard to tho matter, and there was something at the* back of it which could not be understood. "For three years we have tried to get this one day given up to returned soldiers, and I iiopo we shall not have to bring the request forward again at another conference" Several delegates spoke anent tho latest Anzac Day service, and tho opinion was expressed that the ceremony most solemn and impressive had added to the status of th© association. Dr. E. Boxer (Hastings) said that .in drawing up tho programme of service, his very soul had gone into tho work. Ho fel't very deeply on the matter, and hoped their requests would bo granted. A suggestion of Mr 11. B. Bell, that Mr Downio Stewart, M.P., ho asked to take charge of a bill, to be intro--duccd into Parliament, was approved generally, and the remit was then adopted, members standing as a tribute to tho dead.