VICTORIA LEAGUE.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1920, Page 3

VICTORIA LEAGUE.

MEETING OP NEW PLYMOUTH BRANCH. A general mooting of the New PlyInoutli brunch of the Victoria League Was- held at the office of the president, Devon Street, yesterday afternoon. There was an attendance of about 22 ladies, and several apologies for absence were received.

Mrs. C. H. Burgess presided, and stated that the meeting was really the •outcome of a preliminary meeting held m September last, when a. very unanimous', decision was -come to that Ihe Work of the league here should he continued, and the meeting had been called just to reorganise and decide what work should he gone on with. Mrs. Burgess Vead the aims and objects of the league and also spoke of the good work done for the Xew Zealanders in London by the parent league- A letter was also read from Mr. (i. H. Hallam, congratulating the New. Plymouth branch upon the work done. A discussion then took place, and it was ultimately decided to reaifirm the decision to continue work. Officers were elected as follow: President, Mrs. 0. H. Burgess; vice-presi-dents, Mesdames J. Clarke (Mayoress). | and Hascll; secretary, Mrs. Stewart Russell; committee, Mesdames Courfenay, Corney, Denny Brown, Anston, Boyd, Eberlet and Miss Godfrey (with power to add to the number). Mrs. Burgess said there were eleven iife members of the branch, and that nearly £IOOO had been sent from the New Plymouth branch during tho war, besides _ several small sums collected by the junior associates which had been Rent expressly for the purpose of furnishing a room at the Victoria League Soldiers' Club for overseas men, The branch has now a balance in the bank nf £B2, and the secretary decided to make a donation of £K to the parent league in London towards the clubs there under the control of the league. It is interesting to note that in the League's Clubs in London, 209,521 men slept between June, and March, l!»9, while 1,171,103 meals have been wrved to them. Over £IOO,OOO of their money has been deposited for safe keeping, besides personal treasures of all kinds, including a Victoria Cross, which was brought straight, by its owner from Buckingham Palace, where he had received it from the King, to 82. Charing Cross Road, for safe keeping. Hundreds of thousands have also enjoyed the hospitality of the Scottish Clubs of the League for Soldiers and for Nurses. Figures supplied by the Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee Committees show that over 200,000 beds have been occupied and over 940,000 men served in their clubs, while many thousands of men have enjoyed individual private hospitality and have visited shipping yards, farming centres, etc., through the good offices of the League. Mrs. Burgess also gave a most interesting account of the recent Dominion Conference held in Auckland in the mid.le of March.

The branch decided to make a collection of books with which to provide country schools with libraries, the first lot to be sent to Okan, where there was a very energetic branch of the league. Mrs. Russell stated a scheme of this kind had been successfully carried out in Pretoria, where the league provided all the schools with libraries. It was decided to urge all members to wear their badges oil the occasion of the Prince of Wales' visit.