N.Z. VETERANS' ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 October 1920, Page 7

N.Z. VETERANS' ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the New Zea- j land Veterans' Association was hefil at New Plymouth yesterday, Vetera;-; .vilam, vice-president (New Plymouth), presiding. There were also present Captain Greece, N.Z.C. and, Major Gflrnnf (Palmerston North), Veterans 0. Ox'Uiham and J. Andrews' (New Plymouth), and Veteran T. Hickman, sera-alary, Wanganui. Owing to the interruption of the train service several delegates were prevented from attending the meeting. ANNUAL REPORT. The president's annual report stated: Since our last meeting at Wanganui in 1919 many changes have taken place. Our president, the Governor-General, who always took a great interest in the veterans, has left ithe Dominion, and I trust the new Governor-Generai will take the same kindly interest in them, as I am satisfied the New Seated veterans do not get the consideration they r.re entitled to from either the Government or a great majority of the public.

Our strengtli is gradually decreasing in number, and should the Government agree to give us the little asked for it will only be a short time; twelve veterans died during the year. The finances showed a credit balance of £l7 14s od. ISSUE OF MEDALS. On the motion of Major Garner the following resolution was carried: That tlie conference considers" the Government should not grant any further New Zealand war medals, especially to persons who were not under fire, on the following grounds: (1) That the last shot in the Maori War was fired nearly fifty years ago, and it is now difficult to prove that the applicant's claim should be granted; (2) that every opportunity has been given for claims for the medal to be granted by the various commissions that have sat during the last forty years. The last commission sat in 1915. OFFICERS. The election of officers resulted: President, His Excellency the GovernorGeneral; vice-president', Captain Preece; general secretary, Major Garner. QUESTION OF PENSIONS. A copy of a letter sent by the vicepresident to the Premier asking that the monthly pension be increased to £5, was read. The present amount is £3 per month with war bonus of £1 Is Bd, and the Association desired that the pension be a permanent amount of £5 per month.

On the motion of Veteran Andrews it I was decided to again direct the attention of the authorities to the request. The mover pointed out that many veterans entirely, dependent on their pension, and the present pittance was a small one. GENERAL. .--- The next annual conference will he held at Palmerston North. A vote of condolence was passed, w4h the relatives of the late Veteran Studolph, general secretary, whose death occurred during the year. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded Veteran T. Hickman, of Wanganui, for acting in a secretarial capacity vice Mr. Studolph, deceased. | LUNCHEON TO DELEGATES. At the conclusion of the annual meeting, delegates were the guests of the Taranaki branch at a luncheon. Archdeacon Evans (vice-president of the branch), presided, and visitors included the Mayor, Mr. Jas. Clarke, Mr. A. M. McDiannid (president of the R.S.A.), and Sorgt.-Major Bell (representing the Defence Department, in the absence of Lieut. L. W. Andrew, V.C.). An apology was received from L. de Launay, the president of the North Taranaki branch of the South African Veterans' Association.

A brief toast list was honored, commencing with "The King." The Mayor proposed the toast of "The Veterans," and remarked that the band was an ever-diminishing number. The young generation, he said, always enjoyed the veterans' functions. Imagination carried them hack to the early days when the first Europeans landed in the province, and they could try to guage the feelings of the immigrants who set out from England to settle in an unknown land. History had proved that the British race were good colonisers, and the prosperity of the district to-day was partly due to the vigor and enterprise of the early comers.

The toast was replied to by Captain Preece and Major Garner. "Our Guests," proposed by Veteran Adlam, was replied to by the Mayor, Mr. McDiarmid, and Serg't.-Major Bell. Mr. McDiarmid said that as president of the U.S.A., he appreciated the invitation to attend the veterans' function. He extended a cordial welcome to visitors to the Soldiers' Club.

Sergt.-Major Bell remarked that in other Ventres the practice had beer, adopted of admitting South African veterans to the Returned Soldiers' Association as members, with the idea of keeping it alive, and it was hoped that eventually the returned soldier." would also be joined in order to keep up a perpetual organisation. The speaker said veterans had still a little duty to perform, namely, to encourage to the best of their ability the training of the youths of the Dominion. Apart from his duties he. held the personal opinion that the future training which would be given the youth of the country would do them a lot of good morally, physically, and even commercially, for it would train their minds. Nothing delrimeutal to the moral well being of the youths was allowed to creep in as far as the syllabus was concerned. Otlier toasts were "The Taranaki Branch" (proposed by Major Garner), and "The Press."