WAITARA.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 February 1920, Page 3

WAITARA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Jan. 31. A public meeting was held in the Clifton HHall oh Friday evening last for the purpose of deciding whether sufficient interest and support were • forthcoming to form a Returned Soldiers' and Civilians' Club. It was not very well attended owing, no doubt, to other meetings clashing. Rev." Mr. Gavin presided. Lieut -Colonel Weston, Captain Hartriell and the Rev. Archdeacon - Evans were present, and gave irfteresting addresses supporting the claims for the establishment of a club. It was proposed that a Soldiers' and Citizens' Club be formed, and the following were set up as committee for the purpose of making the necessary arrangements: —Rev. Gavin, Messrs. Parry, R. Baker, W .Toll, H. Brabant, W. Proctor, Bennett, V. Garth, C. Tate, W. Hawke, Rev. Lawrence, .T, Eggleston, Mr. Perkins; Mesdumes Birdling, Marlow, .Toll, Spurdle, Trim, Young, J. Brow, and Misses Purdie and Tate. Mr. H. Brabant (a returned soldier) was elected secretary, Mr Hawkins treasurer, and Mr. Parry chairman.

It is the intention of the committee to canvass the town and district for subscriptions, and an eil'ert i 3 to be made to raise money by a sports meeting. The Bum of £l3 was collected at the meeting. . The executive of the Patriotic League is to be appealed to for help. The freezing works have had, during the last few days, to adopt the "go-slow" policy owing to want of space. The s.s. Wainiana is only lifting about a week's killing, so that will not relieve the position to any extent. The compulsory easing up comes at a critical time, as there is plenty of business offering. Another danger threatens the works, and that is the shortage of coal supplies, which everybody is suffering from. The Waitara Fire Brigade are in [ constant training for the Taranaki Fire I Brigade Demonstration,* which comes off at Stratford next month.

Evidently something is wrong with the way pensions are allocated to our returned soldiers. I have just heard of fi man minus a hand who is receiving less per month than a man minus two fingers, and less than a man who had all his limbs intact. Anotlter man, minus both arms, is receiving the miserable pittance of £3 per week. This man has to pay a boy so much per week to enable him to live, as it were. These are cases into which the R.S.A. should look.

The Waitara bowlers competing at the late tournament, although beaten in the final by Foy, are to be congratulated upon their splendid performance. A general meeting of the Waitara Seaside Society is being held on Tuesday .evening to make arrangements for the coming annual picnic, which is being held on February 26th. The Tabor Shield team have had a bit of bad luck in losing two of its competitors, and their places have been hard to fill.