Red Triangle Day.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 February 1918, Page 4

Red Triangle Day.

The public meeting culled by His. Worship the Mayor to organise the. campaign for the Y.M.C.A., Red Triangle Day in the Taihape district was hcl°d last night. There a moderate attendance, presided over by the Mayor. Mr. W. R. Taylor, organising secretary for the Wanganui District was also present. Mr. Arrowsmith said they were aIL familiar with the Y..MC.A. There was no one who had received a letter front the front but was familiar with the Red Triangle, and the great work this organisation was carrying out The time was now arriving when the Second Division was to go into camp and the YM.C.A. was rising to the occasion. The establishment of cantonments at the training camps was to enable married men to have''their wives at the camp during the training period. The Y.M.C.A., had risen to every occasion throughout the war. Their interest in the troops commenced from their arrival in the camps; they were looked after at their embarkation, during the voyage, and on their art-rW in England. Following the men into the training camps in the Old Country, their activities never ceased. When the men get to the front almost the | first thing they meet is the Y.M.C.A., who supply them with almost everything that is needed. Then they followed them To the trenches, and were with them when the men "went over the bags.'' As the men came back from the fighting, perhaps, grievously wounded, the Y.M.C.A. was there to meet them with cups of hot "tea and chocolate and other comforts, as well as a cheery word of encouragement and a helping hand. Through all the tion was ever watchful to guard the vicissitudes of the war this organisayoung and inexperienced men, of which cur troops were so largely composed. Even at night, in London, officers of the Y.M.C.A., were in the streets to pick up stragglers and give them the benefits of a "home away from home." The YM.C.A., was a purely non-sectarian organisation, and the speaker quoted the opinion of a well-known Roman Catholic cleric, who said the work being done by them was a noble work, that it would be bigoted not to acknowledge it, and that no one need be ashamed to learn from its organisation. Xo better testimony of its. usefulness could be given. The Mayor said he was sorry there -^fre

not more returned soldiers present.

The Y.M.C.A., at the outbreak of war were looked at, by the military, as

something to be kept at the base, and called on when wanted. This opinion

had been radically changed, and the Y.M.CA.., were now looked upon as good as a battalion. "And this is the organisation," concluded the Mayor,. ":we are asked to help. We ask th& public to give their assistance; who should be asked to give if not those who stop at home. The meeting tonight was held with the view of organising a campaign to raise funds. I have no doubt Taihape will rise, as it always has done to the occasion. The goal, set before this Dominion effort is £IOO,OOO. It sounds a big amount, but it is not at all too much for New Zealand. Taihape was in the district, which included Wanganui, Ohalrune, and Raetihi. The quota for this district was £5000." His Worship concluded an 'impressive speech amidst applause.

Mr. Arrowsmith then read apologies from Mr. Arthur James, who forwarded a donation of £lO from R. Wilsort and Co.; from Mrs. Wakeman, who sent a donation of £5. Apologies were also made for Messrs. Champion and Emerson. -4»'

Mr. Taylor then briefly addressed those present. The present appeal was a Dominion one entirely on behalf of our boys on active service. He had! seen and been with them in New Zealand and "over the top." and the Y.M.C.A. was always there. The amount they had set out to raise in the Dominion was £IOO,OOO. It was not' a great deal if you analysed it. It simply meant that every man should contribute £1 each per annum; or ons penny each for every day of the year* Mr. Taylor traced the genesis of the; Y.M.C.A., movement and its development up to the war in 1914, when ita first direct association with the troops began. The first Y.M.C.A. man to leave New Zealand with our soldiers was in May of the following year, The value of the was not at first realised by the military authorities. Though the New Zealand branch:

was not allowed to go to Gallipoli with the troops, they went to Franca with them. The men were carefullywatched and guarded while in Eng» land, and all buildings were open to them. Mr. Jamieson had referred to the fact that Imperial soldiers when they got to Blighty had been allowed to drift. The Y.M.C.A. had then done their best, buf iytajas only a drop in the bucket. phasised the dangers of London, and said it was a melan* choly fact that ome of the best of our manhood had gone Sown through no

fault of their own The New Zealanders iffye now looked after by the T.M.C.A. He said it was the opinion of impartial judges that no troops in the British Empire were tetter looked after, than the New Zealanders by their own Y.M.C.A. This was mainly due to the generosity of those in New Zealand. The attentions of the Y.M. C.A., did not end in England. Their activities followed the men even into the trenches, where they were met by the officials with a hand shake, wishes for good luck, and "God bless you" as the men went over top. Turning to the graver side of the picture Mr. Taylor instanced how men coming back from the firing line, wounded, bloodstained, weary, cold, and wet (God only knows how cold and miserable it was), with the gray look in the eyes of men who have looked at death in its most hideous forms. These men have been met by the Y.MC.A. with a cheery word, a cup of hot coffee a cake of chocolate, and biscuits; and how these were appreciated only those who have been through it can adequately realise. (Mr. Taylor then gave some interesting figures of what the yA.C.A. had done, which we will reproduce in a future issue.) '' The work that is being performed must command itself for the good that is being done. This requires money, and it is for this the appeal is being made. Even after the war is over, there will remain a lot to be done, and it will tax their resources to accomplish it, as the temptation and dangers the men will be subject to will be very real ones. Mr Taylor outlined what steps had been taken by Eaetihi and Ohakune in the direction of raising money, and hoped that Taihape would acquit itself in a manner worthy of the reputation for generosity it had obtained. Mr. Taylor resumed his seat amidst applause. Mr. Arrowsmith said their business now was to elect a provisional committee, and he would call for nominations for chairman. 9

Mr, George Wrightson was elected chairman and Mr. G. Parker secretary. It was decided that those present form a provisional committee, and the following were elected: Mcsdames Spence, Burgess, MeCormick, and Messrs. Darvill, Bond, Somerville, Forrest, Plummer, Aldridge, Shanley, Stent, Bray, MeCormick, Hall, Fordyce Parker and Arrowsmith, with power to add.

The next meeting will be held in the Supper Room of the Town Hall on Monday evening nest, at 8 o'clock, andWveryone who is willing to assist is earnestly asked to attend.

Yotes of thanks to the chair and Mr. Taylor were carried by acclamation, and the meeting adjourned.