RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 May 1922, Page 5

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

NEW PLYMOUTH ASSOCIATIONthf, annual meeting. The annual meeting of the New Plymouth . Returned Soldiers’ Association was held last night, when there was an attendance of about forty. Mr. A. M. MeDiarmid (president) occupied the chair. The annual repost states: — Membership.—This, owing to purging the roll, and. the absorption of members into civil life, now stands at 71L Strenuous efforts have been made to induce unfinaj>eial members to renew their subscriptions, but without success. We have lost by death during the year three members, and they, with four members of other branches, were accorded military funerals. Routine.—A good deal of work in connection with finding employment for returned soldiers has fallen on the secretary, and it is pleasing to report that owing to his energy being met sympathetically by employers, men were found employment, in many cases permanent. The calls for financial aneistanee have been very heavy, and although some members njay view with alarm the depletion of association funds, your executive have feit that those funds were in the first place provided for this particular purpose. On one occasion the secretary travelled to Pungarehax to inquire into cases of hardship amongst soldier settiers with satisfactory results, and on another occasion to Hawera, where officials of the ILS.A. met with members of Parliament

in conference concerning war pensions. Anzac Day.—-’Hte arrangements for the observance of this day were in the hands of the R.8.A., and it was the consensus of opinion, after the celebration, that it wae one of the finest and most impressive ceremonies ever held in New Plymouth. Thanks.—Your executive wish to place on record then- grateful appreciation of all the help and many kindnesses they have received from town ami country friends through the year, more particularly in connection with their annual bail. CLUB HOUSE REPORT. The Club House Committee’s report is as follows: Membership.—This now stands at 117 as compared with 96 last year, and the balance-sheet shows the club is well patronised. Club Premises.—Our lease of this building expired last December, and the Harbor Board, on being approached, agreed to allow us a weekly tenancy, with a guarantee of twelve months from 1922, at a very considerably increased rental. There can be no doubt that, although these premises are highly suitable in many ways, the condition in which they are, and the uncertain tenancy, will be matters which the incoming committee will have to very seriously consider. In conclusion your committee wish to place on record

their very sincere appreciation of the work done by the manager (Mr. G. E. Roper), feeling that without his enthusiastic energy the club ere thia would have been in tne unfortunate position of some other similar nstitutions, instead of the great success it is. The statement of receipts and expenditure of the association to March 31, 1922, shows a credit balance in the bank of £42 16s 7d, and that of the Club House a credit balance of ,£95 4s sd. POSITION REVIEWED. In moving the adoption of the report the president remarked that the paper membership was 711, so that there were 400 unfinancial members. Strenuous efforts were made to try and get in the outstanding subscriptions, but this met with no great success. The executive had discussed the matter and thought there was a way in which members could be induced to meet this obligation. Thd routine work had proceeded smoothly and that was undoubtedly due to the capable secretary (Mr. Roper). Referring to the question of the war trophies exhibition, Mr. Mac Diarmid remarked that the association had unsuccessfully endeavored to secure permission to take part in the management. As it was it was rather a poor snowing, whereas it could have been made a big financial success. Touching on Anzac Day, he thought they had every reason to be proud of the way in which the anniversary was kept; the arrangements were entirely organised by the executive of the association, which, really meant Mr. Roper. The club-house membership stood at 117 and it ought to be a great deal more. The club was serving a very useful purpose in holding the association together. The matter of club premises would have to be taken into consideration by the new club-house committee. All knew that the present building was in a bad state and the question was whether they should make some move to get into a new building. Remarking on the falling-off of subscriptions, Air. Roper said this was not common to New Plymouth only, but was the experience of all associations. The report and statement of accounts were adopted. The excess of expenditure over revenue during the year was £B3 4s lOd. The accumulated funds account stood at £1035.

The club-house balance-sheet showed that the total receipts were £1077, and there was a balance of £95 4s. In speaking to the adoption, the president remarked that this was a splendid year’s work. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The following officers were elected:— Patron, Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P.; president, Mr. A. M. MeDiarmid; vicepresidents, Messrs. T. Hopkins and C. H. Croker; hon. treasurer, Mr. H. A. C. Davies; auditor, Mr. Vai. Duff; hon. chaplain, the Ven. Archdeacon Evans; executive, Dr. Home, Messrs. N. Howell, W. G. Taylor, J. G. Kinnear, E. Jury, H. Johnson, W. Roch GENERAL It was decided to hold an annual reuniop, the gathering to take the form of a smoke concert. The following committee was elected to ckrry out the management: Messrs. N. Solomon, Hayward, N. Howell, E. Jury, W. Noble, S. Higgs, J. Kinnear, R. Patterson, J. Erskine, and Harris. An honorarium of 35 guineas was voted to the treasurer. The committee who took charge of the arrangements for the annual ball last year w-ere again asked to undertake the management of the function and were given power to add to their number. On the motion of Mr. A. R. Standish, a vote of appreciation was accorded the president. secreWOr-an«i_out-going executive for tiiezr wwl OUittu, j as t