RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17690, 30 July 1919, Page 2

RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

EXECUTIVE MEETING. Tho fortuightly meeting of the Executive C°mraittee of the Dunedin Returned ooldiers Association was held last nightMr J. li. Moir presided. Ihe Nominations Committee recommended the admission of 151 new members and ona nurse as an honorary member.—Adopted. Xnj mwiiird transfers were accepted, and 11 outward transfers were approved Accounts amounting to £29 6s 8d were passed lor payment, nf D °io t: ?o' 3 f° the J UD £ ° f T tlle association r t l2s fr ,°, m T Mr T F - H. Mitchell and ii , -S m , ■J * were acknowledged with thanks. •"?" 0I J e ? strongly protested against the failure of headquarters to forward the agenda paper for the coming dominion conference for consideration, and on his motion the secretary was instructed to ! enter a strong protest against the haphazard way in which the business of headquarters is conducted. Mr C. R. M'Lean notified that he would have to resign from the Dominion Executive, as he could not attend its meetings, -the secretary was instructed to nominate JDr Harrison to fill the vacancy. On the motion of Mr J. E. MacManus the secretary was instructed to support at the Dominion Executive meeting of the Returned Soldiers' Association a proposal that as pastoral leases expire soldiers be given the option of taking them up before the present lease is renewed. The secretary was further instructed to support the effort to get tho Government to subsidiso the amount paid to returned sol- " dier under-rate workers so as to make it up to tho rate they would receive if employed as journeymen. Mr W. Clark moved that the Minister of Defence he aske'd by telegram to state a date on which he would be .prepared to

meet a deputation from the Dunedin Branch of the association at Dunedin. Mr Clark expressed rrreat dissatisfaction with the Minister's failure to meet the deputation appointed during his recent visit to Dunedin.—Mr MacManus seoonded the motion. —The Chairman said ho considered the Minister's action verv high-handed, and that before he went electioneering to Milton during the whole of that Sunday, as he did, lie should have attended to * the business of the soldiers.—Hie motion was carried. Mr Jones gave notice to move that the resolution providing for the appointment of a returned soldier typist and offering a salary of £3 10s be rescinded; and that the present typist be retained for a further period of three months, at a salary of £2 a week. He explained that the finances of the association necessitated this. Mr Jones moved that the attention of the Minister of Lands be directed to the fact that there is considerable delay in the final settlement of returned soldiers' property purchases, and that the Minister be asked ' to expedite this matter.—Mr MTean seconded the motion, which was carried. The Secretory reported that an invitation had been extended to all returned soldiom by tho Empire Girls' Branch of the Overseas Club to attend an entertainment and dance, to be given at the Security BuiM ings on July 3L