RETURNED SOLDIERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 May 1938, Page 9

RETURNED SOLDIERS

WAIRARAPA ASSOCIATION A YEAR OF PROGRESS. The twenty-second annual report of the Wairarapa Returned Soldiers' Association states, inter alia: —The financial membership at March 31, 1938, is 470, made up of 460 renewals and 10 new members, an increase of 65 on last year. The Association is numerically the thirteenth largest branch of the N.Z.R.S.A., whose membership at March 31, 1938, was approximately 27,000. Last year we occupied fifteenth place, with 405 members. The financial membership yielded an income of £204 ss, on which a capitation levy of £29 8s 9d was payable to Headquarters, N.Z.R.S.A. As a number of unemployed and unemployable ex-service men were not able to renew subscriptions at the annual rate of 10s the subscription was reduced in their cases to 5s pei - annum, and full Association privileges extended to them. The Association has a credit of £229 5s 7d compared with £323 6s 6d last year, and there are no external liabilities. The Social Fund showed a deficit of £lO 9s 10s, which was made good by transfer from General Account.

The figures in the relief fund reveal that the call on the funds for relief purposes has not eased, net expenditure being £7O 15s lid more than that of last year, whilst relief fund receipts were £l7O 9s lid greater. The proceeds from Poppy Sales amounted to £3Ol 2s 3d, an increase of £9 13s over last year, equivalent to 6022 poppies at Is each. The sum of £122 was received from Headquarters, N.Z.R.S.A., in grants from the Canteen Funds Board, the grant being paid monthly, and based on the number of Government unemployed registrations in the Wairarapa District. This, with £172 15s 8d received from the Wairarapa Patriotic Association, was pooled with our Relief Funds, making the total receipts during the year £6OB 19s 2d, which, added to the balance forward last year of £204 6s 3d, made the grand total of Relief Funds £Bl3 5s sd. Of this sum, £7l 14s 2d was paid for poppies, expenses absorbed £l7 16s 2d, £487 0s lid was paid out in relief, and the balance of £ll4 19s 5d is carried forward to next year. Excluding the cost of poppies, the actual expenses incurred in the distribution of £487 0s lid in relief amounted to £l7 16s 2d only, or 3.7 per cent. Twenty-five members of the Association, including one army nursing sister, received instructions to attend the Anzac Day Services in Sydney. The officers elected at last annual meeting and who retire at this meeting are: —Chairman, Mr J. H. Irving; vice-chairman, Mr H. J. Brass; hon. treasurer, Mr L. S. Nicol; committee, Messrs W. L. Free, C. A. Gray, H. B. Maunsell, W. J. White, A. G. Wallis, R. Whyborn. The Branch Delegates to the Committee are: —Messrs A. T. Murray and Gibb Johnston (Carterton), W. R. McMinn (Greytown), H. Lawson (Featherston) and N. C. D. Mason (Martinborough). Six meetings of the committee and five meetings of the relief committee were held during the year. The Association's thanks are conveyed to the Press for the publicity accorded the affairs of the Association in its columns, to Mr N. H. James for his gratuitous audit of the books and to all lady workers associated in the Poppy Day sales, and in the Anzac Day morning tea.

The report is signed by Mr J. H. Irving, chairman, and Mr A. G. Prentice (hon. secretary).