R.S.I AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 139, 10 December 1919, Page 9

R.S.I AFFAIRS

LOCAL ASSOCIATION MEETS

MORE PERSONALITIES

MOTION ASKING EXECUTIVE TO

RESIGN.

A meeting of the members of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association was held in the Masonic Hall, Boulcottstreet, last evoning. the President (Mr. J. D. Harper) presiding. PERMANENT CLUB. Mr. F. MC. Gilmour, on behalf of Mr. W. Perry, moved"; "That- the motion appearing in the minute book appointing a special committee to go into the matter of a, permanent club be; and is, hereby rescinded." The Chairman explained that the object of the motion was to transfer the matter from the special committee to the executive of the Association. The motion was carried. REFUSAL TO .RESIGN. A letter was read from Mr. D. S. Smith, replying to the resolution passed at last meeting calling upon the recently appointed Wellington members to the Dominion Executive to resign. These were presumably Mr. W. Perry and himself. Mr. Smith protested against a motion of that.kind being brought forward and carried without notice. It almost appeared as if the Association was prepared to pass judgment without giving the parties interested an opportunity of expressing their views. He did not in any way seek nomination, to the Dominion Executive, or its sub-committee, but eventually agreed to accept. The question was, he understood, entirely one for the Dominion Executive to consider, and to decide upon. The Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association had no standing in the matter. He noticed that his personal qualifications had been attacked, and in reply he denied that he had ever expressed opinions contrary to the general wishes of returned men. On several occasions he had opposed the 'opinion of the active majority of the Wellington. Returned Soldiers' Association, but at such times, judging by the results of the conference held in October last, he had found himself in accord with the opinions of the majority of the returned soldiers in New Zealand. He therefore suggested that possibly he was more fit to represent the returned soldiers of New Zealand as a whole than the orthodox active member of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association. He added that he proposed to take the same attitude as Mr. Perry had done, and to take no notice of the motion which was passed; insofar as it urged their resignation from the Dominion Executive.

Mr. A. B. Sievwright repeated his protest against Air. Smith being appointed to the Dominion Executive.

The letter was received.

Mr. 0. W. Batten pointed out that the Dominion Executive was elected by the annual conference of the New Zealand Association, which was composed of some sixty local associations. All local associations could not be represented on the association, and such, appointments were not made. The motion passed at last meeting, therefore, had been passed on a misapprehension, and he hoped it would be rescinded.

Mr. A. B. Sievwright contended that the five delegates from Wellington on the Dominion Sub-Committee did represent Wellington, inasmuch as they were appointed by Wellington District. Auckland was entitled to three delegates, and Wellington to five.

It was decided to go on with the business.

'OUT AFTER SOME OTHER GOD."

Mr. J. Kyle moved : "That this meeting of the Wellington R.&A. calls for the immediate resignation of the local executive, in order that a fresh election make take place on democratic lines." He pointed out that most of tha present members of the executive had held office since April last, since when the membersinceship of the association had been more than doubled. The executive therefore represented a minority, and he held it should resign.

Mr. Gilmour said it seemed to him that there was a desire to get rid of tho people they knew, and to jump out into the world after some other god. He asked whether they might not be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire?

Mr. Irvine urged the meeting not to pass a motion undoing the work of tho last annual meeting, which was much more largely attended.

Several speakers urged that they should drop personalities, as the Wellington Association by its apt-ions was becoming "the laughing stock of the Dominion."

Mr. J. Kyle contended that the .association was not making the progress it should, because of the attitude of the executive.

"AT PARTING OF THE WAYS."

Mr. A. Ourtayne said, as a member of the,executive, that if the meeting thought it could get more capable men to represent them, theD let it do so. Let them out the executive if they so desired. The executive would not squeal. Their record was their satisfaction, and they were not going to apologise for it. Mr. A. B. Sievwright supported th_, motion, submitting that the executive in the past had been dilatory, and had not been in sympathy with the expressed! views of the Association. They were at the parting of the ways. If they wanted dilatoriness let them stick to the present executive, but if they wanted a policy of "do it now," then, he said, let them have a fresh election. He had only been a member of the executive for a month, and he was prepared to do as the meeting required. He hoped they would paso this "democratic and unifying, resolution."

The Chairman agreed with Mt. Sievwright, that they had come to "the parting of the ways." Tho executive, he held, was elected on a strictly democratic basis—at the annual meeting. The argument that all the men were not back then, was so' much moonshine, otherwise they might argue that the men who went away first and returned first had not tho right to form an association '. If they passed the resolution they would be expressing a want of confidence in the-exe-cutive. (Cries of "No".) Ho pointed out that while sweeping accusations were made as to dilatoriness, not ono single instance had been quoted. Mr. Sievwright: "What about gratuity?" The Chairman replied that if the question of gratuity was to be brought up, _re> would make a statement that some members might not like. He had recently been down on the West Coast, audi while there had heard many expressions of opinion from returned soldiers, regrettiing the attitude of the Wellington Association. He repeated that they were at the parting of tho ways. If the motion was' earned there would be a split in the Wellington Association, and he assured them that he would not be their chairman again. He.warned them also that if they continued to indulge in personalities they would get nowhere at all. He hoped the resolution would bo defeated. MOTION DECISIVELY DEFEATED.

Tho motion was lost by 60 votes to 24-

The announcement was received with applause, and the Chairm'.i.n expressed the hope they would, get along to April u«s>(. without, any fuvthcr re.ereu.-_ to executives.