RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17706, 7 March 1923, Page 5

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

MEETING OF ASSOCIATION,

The executivo of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' ABBoeiation met on Monday evening, the Rev. W. Walker presiding.

Tho sccrotary presenter! the report of tho Dominion Executivo meeting held rocontly at Wellington. ' A letter had been received from tho Tinder-Secre-tary of the Emigration Department, who stated that he could supply the Association with no further lists of soldiers arriving in the Dominion, as the last emigrants under the overseas settlement Bcheme had arrived by the Athenic on February 17th.

It was resolved to refer the matter to tho Imperial Soldiers' Committee. The Town Clerk wrote advising that the City Council had agreed to subsidise £ for £ the £IOO of Poppy Day funds, the money to be used to employ returned soldiers on the Council reserves.

The secretary reported that, at present, 18 men were employed by that means.

Tho report of the New Zealand B.S.A. stated that it had been decidedto be represented at the British Empire Service League's Conference, to be held at London in July. General Sir Andrew Eussell, K.C.M.G., had boon appointed to represent the Association at the Conference. A deputation from the Heathcote Soldiers' Settlement waited on the executive with complaints regarding unfair competition on the part of railwaymen owning sections in the Heathcoto Vallev.

A sub-committee, consisting of Mesßrs H. J. Knight, E. .W. Fulton, and W. E. Leadley, was set up to report to the next meeting in the matter. ••

The secretary also reported on the arrangements for the Anzac Day Memorial Service. General Russell had signified his willingness to take part in the celebration, and it was oxpected that the Govornor-Gcneral would be present. It was resolved to ask the- Christchurch Tramway Board to allow re-, turned ooldiers in its employ to parade in a body on Anzac Day, and afterwards to attend the service.

Colonel H. Stewart was appointed to. take charge of the parade. It was decided to hold a monster re-union of comrades of tho Groat War on the- evening of Tuesday, April 24th, prior to Anzac Day, and to proBent his Excellency the Governor-Gen-eral with a patriotic address. It was decided that the closing date for receiving nominations for tho incoming executive should be March 31st. The amount of canteen funds held by the Canteen Funds Disposal Board, according to the secretary, was £150.000. This was invested as follows: — £BO,OOO at 6 per cent., £50,000 at 5J per cent, £26,000 at 4 per cent. These investments brought in an annual interest of £B4OO. The headquarters of the Association were evolving a scheme to use the funds in training badly disabled soldiers for new occupations, and making.them usoful citizens and assets to the State. After considerable discussion, it was decided to make application for £IOOO, to be paid to the Canterbury Patriotic Fund, and to be earmarked for assisting returned soldiers at present receiving treatment in the Christchurch Hospital and the Consumption Sanatorium, and who had not been recognised as war disabled men. Jt was stated that some men in the Sanitarium had been receiving treatment for twelve months, and they wero not in receipt of a pension. Some of them who were married and had families to support, had been forced to give up positions in order to receive treatment. There was urgent need of financial assistance.