RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Taihape Daily Times, 4 July 1919, Page 4

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

QUARTERLY GENERAL lIEETING The quarterly general nieating of the Taihape District Returned Sc'Lt?«~ iers’ Association was held in the supper room of the Town Hall 1:~st night, Mr E. Lenihan presiding over :1 good attendance of returned soldiers. The minutes of the pI‘CViO.IS nteetiug were read and confirmed. The Chairman explained. that Mr Harper, the returned soldiers’ 'ielega.:',e on the War Pensions Board was to have arrived in Taihape in Taihape that day and intended to address the meeting on the subject of pensions. A tel-egiani had been received from the general secretary on the _ previous day, stating that Mr Harper will be in Taihape on Thursday, but there was evidently some misunderstanding, as Mr Harper "had not arrived. ' The report and balance-sheet. was (read, showing ;that the memb-ership had inc.reased ‘by 73 during the quarter, the total membership now being 106. The balance-sheet shoired ‘a credit balance Of £256 1/, the revenue for the qtlar-fer being £6l 18/8, and the expenditure £46 8/6. The general secretary wrote stating that the General Manager of Railways had been approached regarding the Department’s- (refusal to grant ;the five paid holidays in connection gith the armistice to railwaymen on active service, in camp, or awaiting discharge. The General ‘Manager contended that’ the crediting of accumulated leave to railwaymen on active service was an act of grace so far as the Department was concerned. and was not done by‘a'ily other Department,_

He considered it unfair .10 penalise the Department for a. relatively more generous treatment of its stafl’. ‘During the discussion which followed it -was pointed out that all Government departnients treated their ’sel--vants similarly in .the matter ~of accumulated leave, and that the "(sllll Manager of-Railways was ende'a 'ouring to misrepresent the position in order that the Department could avoid its responsibilities. ' It was resolved that the facts of the position he again placed before the exe--cvtive for the purpose of having t.he matter again represented -to the railway ‘authorities. The report .and balance-sheet of the Social Committee were read and adopted. The balanceshcet. showed that the two entertainments had resulted in a profit of £lB 18/8, and :1 vote of thanks was accorded to the Social Committee and to those ladies and gentlemen who had given such valuable assistance. ' The ‘Sports’ Committee’s I-eport showed that two soldiers’ teams were being entered for the tug-of-war contest in connection with the peace celebration. It was decided that all returned. soldiers should parade in uniform on the three days set apart for the peace celebrations. The secretary, Mr M. .'MeLaughlan, tendered his resignation on account of not having sufficient time to devote to the work. The resignation was accepted with regret, and a vote of thanks accorded to the secretary for his past services.

The question of appointing a paid. secretary and organiser for a. period of 12 month's‘ was discussed at some length, and it. was eventually decided to invite .a-pplieationsfor the position at a salary of £250 per annum and travelling expenses. It was pointed out that it was necessary to increase the membership, and or organise subassociations in the adjoining districts which could -obtain a suificient memo bership to form associations. .I."t was unanimously decided that a. Returned Soldiers’ Club should be erected in Taihape, and a committee consisting of Messrs‘ Gibbs, Norris, -VVeb-sfer, Howden, and Murrell Was’ nppointed to consider ways and means and to report to a general meeting to( be held later.

The reporfs of the respective delegates to the Conferences at Christchurch and Palmerston North "Were read and adopted. r ‘ ' u The question of land settlement was discussed at some length, and eighteen of those present expressed the_l'r.will- - to take up land locally it it could be procured for them. : Mr Leniha.n moved, and Mr Mc~" Laughlan seconded, the following as _a. remit. to the next quarterly district conference at Palmerston North: “That this Association is of opinion that the purchase of high—priced land‘ for set‘-. tlement. by returned soldiers is neither in the best interests of the soldiers nor of the Government, .and-pledges, itself to urge upon the Government the necessity and clesii-ability of securing some of the Cheaper land which are available. Some of the cheaper lind having already been acquired, the Association further urges that it should be immediately tlll~6wn’“open for selection.”

—-Carried, ’ The following motion was also car-» 1-ied_unanimousl_v: “That this Associ-$1 ation direct the attention of the Governlnen't to the fact. that 151'-ge areas of land between Taihape and Hawke’s Bay could be acquirecl for soldier’ settlement at a reasona-‘ble price, and urges speedy action in the directioii of securing some of this land, which i may not be available later, on account of the efiol'ts'C=f pi'iva.t.e individuals to secure it for speculative purposes.”

It was considered that the work done on behalf of the soldiers from this district by the Taihape TVonlen’s Working Club should be hsuifably recognised by -the returned soldiers, and a special committee was appointed for the pose of formulating a proposal to give effect to the dec*.is3ou to fittingly recognise the services of HlO members of the Club.

Th nlEe’ting tc-rtninated with a. vote of thanks to thé' chair.