VIGILANCE ASSOCIATION

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 269, 11 December 1939, Page 2

VIGILANCE ASSOCIATION

A FULL DISCUSSION DECISION TO CO-OPERATE A well-attended meeting of the Vigilance Association was held in the Borough Chambers on Friday evening. In the-absence of Air. J. B. Gow (the president), Mr. T. Steele was voted to the chair. After some routine business had been attended to, the secretary, Air. L. A. O. Davies read a letter from the' Patriotic! Committee extending a cordial invitation to the Association to bring its full organisation, together witli its officers, into active co-operat-ion with the Patriotic Committee. At the same time the Association was invited to appoint five of its number to the executive of the Patriotic Committee. The letter pointed out that the committee,, because of the fact that it had been concerned with the Centenary arrangements, had, in common with similar committees throughout the Dominion, been appointed by the-Government in connection with the scheme lor the control of war relief funds.

Air. C. Gordon said tlfat lie felt that - irrespective of the collection of funds, the' Vigilance Committee had an organisation in its special committees which provided fer a great deal of help being given to men enlisting from this district, Furthermore, in the meantime, if appeared that monies collected! locally were not to be administered locally, and he felt that thiA was mo s t unsatisfactory. (Members “Hear, Hear’’), lie was not in favour of the Vigilance Association being completely merged and losing its valuable "identity. At the same time-the thought that, provided the Vigilance Committee could do its .work as such, there' was value in representation- with the Patriotic executive.

Air. C. Pipe spoke of good work already clone for individual soldiers in business matters, and) hoped that this work was to lie continued. Air. 8. Alaxwell said that lie feared that no great sums would lie collected in Opotiki or elsewhere unless a substantial portion of the money could be kept for administration locally. Air. Davies stated that letters addressed to the Minister in charge had not even boon acknowledged, ,’ihis had been the experience also of the Centennial Committee, and Air. Huliquist had not received! a reply either. Members expressed indignation that the"question was not yet clarified. The chairman remarked that he had been informed that Air. Gault had expressed the opinion that some amalgamation of local committees concerned with patriotic efforts would have the effect of strengthening the position. The chairman agreed with this view, and thought that, provided the. identity of the Vigilance Association was safeguartlied, it would be a proper course to meet the gesture of the Patriotic Committee. It was important that Opotiki lie united in its effort. Air. Gault said that it would not do to have two committees appealing for funds. It would be better to have cooperation. Air. 10. J. Baigent spoke of the position oif' the Returned) Soldiers’ .Association. They had not had a satisfactory experience in regards to funds collected in tlie last war. Thousands of pounds had been raised but nearly all had been taken out of the district, and a lot of trouble had been experienced in getting money that was badly needed by local returned men. His Association was keenly desirous ol getting a voice on the Patriotic Committee. Ho was not afraid ol their losing their identity. He thought that unitedly they should bring strong pressure to boar to have a fund controlled by local trustees established in Opotiki. Rev. A. F. Attwood; who had moved the, resolution at the Patriotic* Committee meeting said that he was in favour of co-operation. Ho said that the Patriotic Committee wa.s not seeking to absorb the Vigilance Assooiat-

Mr. E. W. Seville hoped that the various local interests would get together to send adequate representation to the Tauranga centre so that a strong body of country opinion could make it clear in Auckland that it was essential that each centre raising money could retain and administer a substantial portion of it. .Members generally expressed warm appreciation of this speaker’s views. At the invitation of the chairman, Mr. F. J. Short explained CV the position ' under ' which the Centennial -Committees. in / ’ :