NAVY LEAGUE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18677, 28 April 1926, Page 13

NAVY LEAGUE.

ANNUAL MEETING. MORE MEMBERS NEEDED. The annual general meeting of the Canterbury Branch of the Navy League was held last evening, when Mr J. JDougall presided over a good attendance.

In the annual report it was stated that there were 907 adult members of the league and 54 junior members. To enable the branch to progress with its work an increase in membership was absolutely necessary. The epidemic ot infantile paralysis shortened the time for schools to get through their syllabus, and it had been found impracticable to do any work amongst the boys and girls, but short lectures and moving picture entertainments had been given at Christ's College and at St. Andrew's College. It was hoped that in the future it could lie arranged for members of the branch to act as connecting links between the principals of schools and the branch office for the purpose of fixing dates and times after school hours for senior boys and girls to attend at the Navy League Hall to witness screenings of selected moving pictures and to listen to short talks on naval and patriotio subjects. The committee had discussed the question of holding self-supporting monthly dances for the purpose of keeping Navy League helpers together and creating more interest in the league and its work amongst the younger generation. The idea had been approve, but had been held aver until the autumn of 1926. The annual Navy Day appeal had yielded £350 13s 6d. The head office of the league had reported that there had been a loss of approximately £4OO on the year and that they were finding it difficult to carry on. The local branch had subscribed a sum of £45. Notwithstanding the hope that has been freely expressed during the last few years that the horrors of the Great War would end war, and that henceforth nations would live in peace, it was becoming increasingly evident that the risk of war was still present. Recent transactions of the League of Nations showed that some of the nations of Europe were not yet prepared to accept each other on the basis of mutual trust and friendship. Great Britain had set the world a great example not only by her endeavours to build up a mutual pact for the preservation of peace, but also by the marvellous manner in which she was redeeming lier war debt. The redeeming of this debt, however, was undoubtedly straining the Motherland's capacity to maintain a supreme Navy. At the present time the Royal Navy was barely up to a one-Power standard, and it was tho bounden duty of New Zealand and the other oversea Dominions of the Empire to assist in that respect. There was ample work for the Navy League to do in New Zealand in urging a larger contribution toward the maintenance of the Navy, and in inculcating the lesson of a supreme naval defence.

The balance-sheet revealed that the balanced the current account was £BO7 2s 4d, and the balance of the Training Fund £365 10s lid. In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet, the president said that the League was in the same position as it was a year ago—perhaps worse. There were fewer members than during the previous year, and they were a pound or two short of the money they had had the year before, but the work of the year had been, on the whole, satisfactory. More members were needed, and the League needed the support of the business men of the City. Great praise was due to the ladies of the League, particularly those of the Women's Auxiliary. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. The following -officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr J. J. Dougall; vice-president, Mr W. Walton; hon. treasurer, Mr T. H. Poster; hon. auditor, Mr H. T. Whittingham; general committee, Mrs Norton Francis, Mrs Overton, Mrs A. E. Smith, Mrs H. T. J. Thaeker Mrs Algar Williams, Mrs H. Wyatt, Miss Sanders, Lt.-Com. H. B. Anderson, Lt.-Com. A. D. Boyle. Lt. C. H. Kersley, Lt.-Com. A. M. Tebbs, Rev. A. H. Norris, Messrs A. K. Anderson, H. L, Bowker, D. Manson, B. Seth-Smith. W. J, Le Cren, C. 6. Curtis, W. J. Cracroft Wilson. A.' W. McGillivray, and J. F. Studholme.