FORM OF ANZAC DAY “SHOULD NOT DIE”

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30438, 12 May 1964, Page 18

FORM OF ANZAC DAY “SHOULD NOT DIE”

Though he commended the Dominion president of the Returned Services’ Association (Mr H. Mitchell) on his 'statement on Anzac Day, he [could not agree that after the fiftieth anniversary of the day it should be observed on the nearest Sunday, said Mr D. Marrett, president of the Christchurch R.S.A.; at an executive meeting last evening.

“Anyone who saw the wonderful dawn service and the citizen’s service afterwards will agree that it should never die,” he said. “We should do our level best to retain it.”

I But the Government and the Dominion executive of the R S.A. would have to contemplate some change in Anzac Day observance in the near future, Mr Barrett aid, and the voting of R.S.A. members had shown the need for this.

Mr S. J. Geary: 1 hope our delegates to the Dominion conference will emphasise that.

! After Mr R. A. Nightingale had commented that the pastpresident (Mr A. S. Farrar) had said he would vote according to his own convictions. Mr Barrett said that Mr Farrar had said later that he would recognise the vote of association members.

Thousands of persons outside the R.S.A. were as vitally interested in the form of Anzac Day as R.S.A. members were, Mr Geary said. “Yes, the New Zealand R.S.A. should not have taken the vote,” said Mr G. McMillan, the vice-president. “It is a question for the Government to judge public opinion. We should have kept out of it.”

i When Mr Nightingale said [it was the policy of the Government to take a lead from the R.S.A. on matters affecting ret"(-ned servicemen, Mr McMillan said: “If the Government took a lead from the R.S.A. it would be very nice. We would get increased pensions and so on. They take our advice when they want it.”