RETURNED SOLDIERS' CLUB

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 80, 1 October 1918, Page 11

RETURNED SOLDIERS' CLUB

NECESSARY SOCIAL

SERVICE

MINISTERS' TRIBUTES

The third annual meeting of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Clubhouse Sqoiety was hold last evening in one of the clubrooms. The attendance included Mrs. Massey, Sir James Allen, the Hon. Arthur Myers, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Messrs. E. D. 8011, James Macintosh, L. 0. H. -Ti'ipp, and other representative citizens. -.' The society's ■ chairman, Mr. J. P Maxwell presided. :

The annual report- and .statement; of accounts (of which a summary has been published in Tha Post) were adopted. (the Chairman said that hp did not) regard the year's expenses, £1419, as excessive, in view, of the fact that Van membership of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' -Association was now about 2500, but the expenditure had trenched .to the., extent of S4BI on th» amount- brought forward from the previous year. The clubhouse appeared to be carefully managed, and its assets were well maintained. It was estimated that the raising of a sum of about £2500 wonld be necessary to carry on the club for another three years. Every member had an opportunity to express ,his views on the management and to offer suggestions for improvements. The management wap carried on by the returned soldiers themselves with the.assistance of civilians on the executive, which had acted satisfactorily in •co-operation' with the House Committee (wholly composed of returned soldiers). Mr. "Maxwell explained how .the club was helpful in giving assistance to returned men in regard to employment and other needs. From almost daily personal observation of the club's operations during the past year he could vouch for the club's usefulness in these matters. It was an encouragement to the management that it fcad^had the moral support of the Government. No definite statement had been received in this respect, but it. was felt that the club had thp Government's good-will. TKe club was also grateful to the press for great assistance. In conclusion-; the Chairman declared that the record of the club's help to. soldiers would satisfy the publip that the institution was well worthy of a continuance of public support. (Applause.) IN- TIME OF NEED,, Mr. C. R. Smith said he would like to congratulate the -committee on. thp success of the pfj-sfc year's work. He emphasised the importance of the club in helping men through the first few weeks after their return—a- time when they would ,tend naturally to feel unsettled. This kind of assistance served an excellent purpose. He believed that the combination of civilians and returned men on the executive made for the righfc kind of success. (Hear, hear.) He was confident that the good work deserved the support of the public. -He praised the solid service of' the former chairman (the late Mr. A. S. Biss) and his successor (Mr. Maxwell). The' following committee was elected: —Civilian members;. Messrs. E. If. Bell, A. Gray, J. Macintosh, Marcus Marks, J. P Maxwell, and. W. Simm ; soldier members : Colonel J.-.G. Hughes, S.M.G., D.5.0,, Sergeant-Major J. Hudson, Messrs. D.- Higgie, D. G. Munro, J. D. Harper, and W Morpeth ! GOVERNMENTS-ATTITUDE. , Sir James Allen, expressing approval of a remark by the chairman, said that if the club was to be run successfully it would have to stick to its non-political and non-sectarian character. (Hear, hear.) There could be no more worthy of support than a well-conducted club for returned soldiers. (Applause.) Those who had been in contact with the Wellington Club knew the value of it. He was pleased to say that it had the moral support of the Government and any other-support that the- Government; could give, as long as it was run on sound and healthy lines—as hp believed it was run. Such an institution kept, men together for mutual help. It was only right that men who had served and suffered for their country should have a. proper meeting-place for such a purpose, particularly foj> helping a -certain proportion who needed a good influence to make them useful citizens again. He congratulated the club's committee on the successful way in which the enterprice had been managed. It had always been a, pleasure to him to visit the rooms. He had found them bright, clean and healthy, and the men. always seemed glad to be there. He thought that the club was doing a splendid work. "We have a great fight to face after this war," he concluded, "perhaps a niore difficult and longer war than the present one, in the industrial, commercial, moral, and physical fields." The tasks after the war would call for the best efforts of all men and women who loved their country. If returned soldiers' clubs helped in making a healthy community, they would do great good to New Zealand. He hoped that the public would support -the clubs with sufficient funds for this purpose. (Applause.) The Hon. Arthur Myers said he heartily associated_ himself with Sir James Allen, in his remarks,. He congratulated the executive on the results of its work in providing a comfortable haven of rest and mutual help for so many men. , A DOUBTER'S CONVERSION. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie also praised the-succesaful work of the club. He said he was glad to be able to remove a misapprehension regarding his attitude on returned soldiers' clubs. He> had feared at first that these clubs might retard the reabsorption pf returned men in civil life, but from the evidence which he' had seen in Auckland, Wellington, and elsewhere, all. his dqub.t£i-in th^t matter had been removed, and he wae satisfied that "the clubs could help well in re-establishing returned soldiens in civil life. He was [ confident that all difficulties in.this matter could- be surmounted by perseverance. Supporting a motion of tha'nlis to the Ministers for their addresses, Mr. C. W. Batten, president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiery' Aesociation, said that those who had been permitted to serve their country overeeas, and had survived, felt that they had another duty-r----nreparing the wa.y here for those who were still on active service. • A necessary part of any plans for helping returned soldiers must be.in getting contact with them, and for this purpose the olubs could be very useful. The motion was carried by acclamation. After the Chairman had declared the business of the meeting closed, Mr. Badger sppk© in criticism of the club, \Yhich, lie stated, was not as useful to returned men as it slioujd be. He contended that returned mqn were now numerous enough in Wellington to be able to establish and run a permanent club. His further exposition of his idea wo(3 cut off by a ruling of the chairman thajt .the.speech was out of order, as the business of the meeting had concluded.