RETURNED MEN

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 91, 17 April 1917, Page 4

RETURNED MEN

ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL

MEETING

OFFICERS APPOINTED.

One of the largest gatherings of returned soldiers held in Wellington took place last evening, the occasion being the first annual .meeting of the Returned Soldiers' Association. Mr. J. D. Harper presided. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet (extracts from which have already been published) said they must remember that they were only the advance guard— merely a drop in a bucket—of the Returned Soldiers' Association whicb>would yot come into existence. The boys now in, the trenches would return in due course, and tlie association, must do all it could to help these men. / Mr. John I. Fox seconded the motion for the adoption of the report. He stated that there was an, impression that the returned soldiers were going to accumulate a lot of money and property and turn the Government' out of office. This was not the case, however, and he was quite sure that the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association was going to be a great factor' for reform. Sergeant-Major Oman said there had been a good deal of comment on'the salaries paid to fhe officials, but he thought' they were quite moderate. Mr. C. W. Batten explained that all tho expenses of the; association were paid by the returned soldiers. The Chairman referred to the good" work done by Mr. Fox, manager of the club, and said they were lucky in having such a man. (Hear, hear.) Tho motionl was. carried.

The report of the House Committee reviewing the work of the pact year was submitted by Mr. R. H. Wild! arid adopted.

Mr. J. D. Harper was unanimously elected chairman, amid applause. • Reference was made to the service he had rendered to the association.

- Other' officers elected were :—Vice-\ chairman, Mr. H. R. Wild; hon. treasure]', Mr. D. Higgle; hon. auditors, Messrs. Watkins, Hunt, Wheeler, and. Co.; committee, Messrs. Loftus, Hinds, M'Cabe, Gray, M. Williams,' Truman, Hudson, Morpeth, and Sergeant-Major Oman; delegates to the Dominion Conference, Colonel Hughes, Messrs'. Batmen, Fox, Bohlson, and' Hinds.

> Mr. Fox moved that it be a recommendation to the conference to secure a journal to deal only with matters affecting returned soldiers. Such a paper had been established and was coming but on Anzac Day, and the door was being left open for the association to acquire that journal. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously, .