RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16946, 22 September 1920, Page 3

RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. Tho fortnightly meeting of the executiro of tilt) Christchurch Branch of tho li.S.A. was held on Monday night, tho Rov. W. Walker presiding, Mr ?>. B. McCalhim attendod arid presented, a report of tho working of tho Canterbury Repatriation Board, for which ho received i vote of thanks. Several matters affecting repatriation were submitted "by the Hanmer Spiing-3 branch of tlio R.S.A. It was decided that tho secretary should visit llanmor in tho near future in order to explain tho benefits of the Repatriation, Land Settlement, Pensions, and Gratuity Acts. . It was reported that several oversea newspapers had signified their willingness to forward copies of their papers for the reading room of tho new club, and that the Defence Department had allocated two machine-guns to tho club. It was decided to apply for a howitzer and a 5.9 gull. It waa roported that several members of the Association had had their names and addresses taken by the poliea for wearing military overcoats in contravention of Section 00 of "tlx© Defence Act, which prohibits discharged soldiers from wearing l military nmform or port thereof without authority. It waa decided that the Dominion executive should be requested to obtain an explanation from tho Defence Department, seeing that it had eold the coats to tho men. „ , • The future defence policy 01 Ivew Zealand was discussed, and it was decided that Mr O. T. .T. AlpSrs should be requested to address tho next general meeting of the Association on the aims and objects of the .ISew. Zealand National Defence League. Stron? exception was taken, to a statement contained in a report presented by the Lands Department that many returned eoldiers w(lo hid received grants to enable them to purchase houses were already selling »■< a profit to civilians or men benefits under the D.S.S. Act, The executive was of the opinion that returned wero peTfectlv wiHiin th«ir Tishte in sel in, out at a profit if thev wiahed to do ho. Tho ■natter was referred to tlio . Dominion ex? tiro With a request that tho interests of tho returned men should be watched to nrevent this right being taken away from PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE.

The miarterly meeting of Ca-HterVu-cy provincial executive of tho R.&.A. was held last nijrht, '.he Rev. W. Walker presiding. Del~'atcc al'.'Midcd from Tomulca, HokitiAa, Timaru, Kawpoi, A&burtou, Greymouth, and' Wostport branch. , ~, 'The secretary presented a report Ol the jjominion executive. meeting, i;c! d recently m AVellington. - « A discussion took place regarding we prcspi:t scale of pensions, and it was decided to urze ali Associations in the province to hold <*Mv"ral meeting before tho end of the mo&tii \vlth a view to bringing. pressure to bear on the Government to increaso tho present scale. Tho following resolution was carried unani-mous!--:—"In view of tho fact that tho pension. hitherto grafted to a totally ana permanently disabled soldier was inadequate wis*-.; i: tos granted, and in view of trie -act that tho cos{ cf living has risen by at least 75 to SO per cent, sinea tho outbreak of the war, this meeting calls upon -the Government to increase the pension payable to a totally pcr-mane-ntlv disabled soldiaer from the —2 psr v.-eek payable at prwnt to £3 10s per weeK, and'to increase the pension payable -to ?. partiflllv r r temporarily disabled ec-l-dier' and to a dependant in » •■iiuilai" nroixxtior.. Tin*' meeting of tho Cacterburv District Executive of_ tho X-.Z.8.5.A.. believing: i>„ is the duty 01 iho country to do- tvfryuiins >>o?.siblc tor the soldier maimed and disabled in ihc wary u'ion tho Government to make tho awr.e «J----crviso of 75 par cent. -applicable in all casas cf disablement, and that tho "War Pension': AcL-, bo amended accordingly. This meeting maintains tha-t thr. power to '-,'nLnt supplementary and attendants' pensions should r.ot be withdrawn from tho AVar Pensions Board.' Land ■settlement discussed. It was stated that there v.-er-a approximately 4000 soldiers in the Dominion who have yet to be coltted on the land, and it was urg»d that the land settlement, sclrome of the N.Z.R.SA. should be adopted by tiie Government with a view t-o quicker settlement. j The meeting decided to draw tho attention I of the Canterbury Progrpsa Leaguo to the fuct that the Land Purchase BoajxL, recently r.opointed b7 tho Gcvernms-nt, were cot fulfilling tho purpose for which they ware appointed. It was resolved that ail Associations in Canerbury should taie an early opportunity of the aims and objects of tho JJalionai Dciencc League cf Sen Zealand, and ;.l;at it should ba a reoom-nendaiion to all '.turnod soldiers in the province to'give the League their support. ' Keports from local Associations showed that the R.S.A. is in a healthy condition throughout tho pro vie ca.