VETERANS' ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1917, Page 3

VETERANS' ASSOCIATION.

SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. At the Wellington Town Hall on Wednesday the seventeenth annual conference in connection with the Royal New Zealand Association of Veterans was held. Colonel Porter, C.B. (vice-president) occupied the chair, and there were also present: Captain J. Henry, Major Trcgear, 1.5.0. (Palmerston North), Captain Humphries (Taranaki), Major Lomax (Wanganui), Lieutenant-Colonel Macintosh. Alessrs R. Tingev (Wellington), H. Walton (Hawera), W. T. Deny nett (Hastings). W. Fidler (Masterton), and H. Arden (Taranaki). A telegram was received from the Governor-General (the president) excusing his absence, and Sir James Carroll wrote stating that Parliamentary business prevented his attendance. . The following officers were elected:— Vice-president, Colonel Porter; secretary and treasurer, Major Tregear; auditor, Captain Humphries; committee, Major Lomax, Captain Humphries, Alessrs H. Arden and R. Tingey. It was mentioned in the annual report, which was adopted, that "the rapid war developments and large unforeseen increase in the numbers of returning soldiers and sailors who will now rank as veterans necessitates that we should expand this association toy reconstruction of the constitution and rules. To organise and embrace in co-ordination all His Alajesty's veterans of the Dominion, namely: Imperial naval and soldier war medallists, Maori war medallists, South African war medallists, and the Great War medallists, 1914-1&—. Steps should be at once taken to carry out the expansion as the present membership is fast lessening by the passing of many members from the rolls at the call of the 'Last Post.'" The delegates passed a vote of deep sympathy with the families of twentyone veterans who had died within the year. Colonel Pjorjter referred to the (restrictions which had been placed by the Cabinet on the receipt of pensions by veterans, and said that the result which had been arrived at was very disappointing. As he had put the matter before Ministers a man only got £4O after fifty years of service. While an increase of £l3 had been agreed, a condition had been imposed that a pensioner must be in receipt of less than £2OO a year.