'PRO PATRIA MORI'

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 48, 25 August 1921, Page 10

'PRO PATRIA MORI'

TRIBUTE BY ACCOUNTANTS

UNVEILING OF ROLL OF HONOUR

FUNCTION PERFORMED BY GOVERNOR-GENERAL.

His Excellency the Governor-General (Viscount Jellicoe) last evening attended the annual meeting of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, for the purpose of unveiling a roll of honour 'containing the names of those members of the socioty who served at the front. On the roll are the names o{ thirty members of the society who lost their lives. Amongst those present at last evening's function, were Major-General ■■ Sir E. O. Ohaytor, G. 0.0., New Zealand Forces, and- Mr.: R. A. Wright (Mayor oi Wellington). SOCIETY'S WAR WORK., In welcoming His Excellency, th« President (Mr. Walter Gree-n), after ex-' pressing the honour conferred on the society by His Excellency's attendance, said that, from the outbreak of war, which had only within the last few days been officially declared closed, the society, by the unanimous will of its members, resolved to give the utmost assistance within its power to enable tlia Dominion to worthily carry out,its part in the conflict; by contributing such moaetary help as the society's funds permitted, and also to help in providing for the combatant forces some alleviation of the rigours of active service by providing such comforts and recreation as could be aTanged for, and assisting such of them as returned wonnd'ed to regain their places in the community. "The society also arranged its own scheme for the assistance of those who, having, taken their part, returned disabled and needed some help in.,-their efforts to accommodate themselves to j the new conditions. These were but the ! dictates of humanity, and the duties of common citizenship. We do, however, take great pride in the personal service rendered by 182 of our members, who at the call of the country, laid down their peaceful tasks, sacrificed their careers, and parting with all that was dear to them, submitted themselves to the rigorous training required to fit them for the awful ordeal of war, left our shores for the fields of 1 battle, cheerfully accepting the trials and hardships, aid ready, if need be, even to give their lives in the .defence of our lives and liberty. Many of them have gained distinction and preferment, and decorations were awarded' to thirty-three mem- , bers.

"Those who by the wonderful dispensation of Providence have come unscathed through the purgatory they so willingly and cheerfully faced, we know to be men of the finest fibre, worthy sons of a glorious country, whose characters, chastened and refined by \the fires through which they have pa^od, will ever be a-n influence for good among us. To those who have returned maimed or broken, we are resolved to extend always the helping hand of fellowship, giving them ungrudging and sympathetic help in their difficulties arid trials. But, alas, thirty will never return —their mortal bodies lie scattered wherever duty called, at Gallipoli, in France, Flanders, Palestine, Mesopotamia,< and Russia. To their memory we shall ever pay our tribute of gratitude and respect, but their spirit lives with us for ewer." GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S SPEECH.

Tho Governor-General, in unveiling the tablet, said : "To the glorious memory of those who ,gave their lives for the Dominion and the Empire, and as a. record of those members of the Society of 1 Accountants who served overseas, I unveil this memorial." He esteemed it a very great honour to have been asked to unveil the memorial. The president had mentioned the services rendered to the Dominion and tlie Empire by the society during the Great War. It was a record of which the society might'well be proud. All those who were capable of bearing arms had • answered the call of Empire for the preservation of civilisation. Those who had been left behind through, age, family ties, or some disability had done their duty in helping their comrades at the front. Not only had they done that, but they had contributed largely to war funds, and had subscribed further suras foi- the tuition of returned men who had been disabled at the front, and had been precluded, through their disability from following their usual occupations. This was^a record which members of the society, both present and future, would do well to remember. His Excellency concluded : "The names of those men who gave their livets_ \vill live in honoured memory for all time." (Loud applausei)