ASSOCIATION MEETS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 137, 14 June 1927, Page 10

ASSOCIATION MEETS

WELCOME BY MAYOR

WORK OF PAST YEAR

The eleventh annual conference of the New Zealand Returned; Soldiers' Association was opened this morning at the Council Chamber of the Town Hall Major-General Sir Andrew Russell (Do'niinion president) presiding over a full attendance of delegates. A hearty civic welcome was extended to all present, by the Mayor (Mi\ G. A. Troup). „--.. The Mayor said that he appreciated very greatly tire compliment they had paid him. in asking Inn; to be present and open the conference. We liad not forgotten, lie stated, the-old'days: the sad and yet.'inspiring days of 1914-1918 Those days were . sad to many of those who ;had taken part in the warand sad also to .many other citizens of Wellington and of' New Zealand irenerally, who had lost dear friends and relatives in the,. Great War. They were inspiring days because, witli all their sadness, the people 1 as a .whole had felt that "our boys" at.the front were upholding the honour aW the prestige not only of .New Zealand, but of the Empire. The delegates would be discussing at their conference many matters of importance,- arid.anything that the City Council could do to help them it woiiia gladly do. POPPY DAY FUNDS. The City Council had agreed to subsidise to the extent of 30s in the £ the Poppy Day funds the R.S.A. had raised to give employment to unemployed returned soldiers on improvement works in the city; and he suggested that they might also be able to secure a subsidy trom the Government. The Hon. G. J Andersdn (Minister of Labour) had stated in Auckland that the patriotic funds would carry a subsidy; and ho (the Mayor) did.not see how they could differentiate betweenl patriotic funds and Poppy Day funds. He congratulated, them on the fact that M. Paderewski. had volunteered his services for a concert to raise funds for the relief of unemployed ex-soldiers He hoped and believed that that entertainment would prove a most successful one; and that, in all, the R.S.A would raise, a very considerable fund for the purpose they had in view. Major-General Sir Andrew Russell moved a very hearty ; vote of thanks to the Mayor for his civic .welcome and for opening the conference, and also to M. Paderewski for. having so kindly volunteered his services.. Both votes were carried by acclamation. . ■ • Sir Andrew expressed his pleasure at the evidence the R.S.A. received in all the cities, where it met in conference of the very good.relations existing between . the , association and tha various civic bodies arid the general public. ' . The other officers present were:—Mr. •T.D. Harper' (Dominion treasurer) and. Mr. Harrison (Dominion secretary), and the delegates were:—Messrs. A c' Laing arid' J.-M. White (Dunediri), S. C. Reid and-E.H. Sharp (Auckland) M. C. Crightbn (South Taranaki), E. J. Brammal (Marlborough),' I. Patterson (Oamaiu), G.W, Moyd and E. 1\ Willcox (Christehurch), E. J.. Bailout (Opotiki), O. B. Gregory (Marton), M. Aldied (Waiuku), E. Lcary (New Plymouth), T. J. Quinn (Gore), G. T. Hall and B. Egley (Wellington), J. M'Leod (Eangiora), and X. A. Vercoo (Nelson). ■•.. : •. Mr. Miller. (Auckland) \v;is allowed to attend and. taVc part in the conference as representative of the limbless soldiers, but without ;a vote. • _ Various sub-committees were appointed- to ' deal,.with, the remits, etc., and at 12:30 p.rii; the conference adjourned ;to '9 : a.m. to-morrow, in order to give the committees an opportunity to do their work. ' This-evening; a reunion of delegates is to be held afthe-Wellington R°S.A. Rooms, Pahariia street. The Mayor, the Hon. I 1: J. -Rollestoiv (Minister of Defence), Mr. ,G. i'acho (Commissioner of Pensions), Mr. James Hislop (Secretary for lutornal Affairu), Sir , John Luke, M.P., and "many others have accepted invitations to bo present. . :