ISLAND BAY R.S.A

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 129, 2 June 1936, Page 11

ISLAND BAY R.S.A

\ ASSISTING COMRADES POSITION OUTLINED The sustained interest taken in the affairs of the Island Bay District Auxiliary of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association was shown by the excellent attendance of members at the annual general meeting held last evening, LieUt-Colonel G. Lyon, M.C., presiding at the opening. After the adoption of the general report and balance-sheet (published in "The Post" last Thursday), the following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—Patron, Lieut.-Colonel J. G. Hughes, C.M.G., D.S.O. (re-elected); chairman, Mr. S. J. Anton; vice-chair-man, Mr. R. J. Pullen; secretary, Mr. J. G. Hay (re-elected); hon. treasurer, Mr. | S' Grimes; committee, Messrs. W. W. Diggle, E. Jenkins, D. J. Crothers, R. Briggs, A. C. D. Loadsman, W. Swiffen, and G. S. Campion; auditor, Mr. H. W. Gould. A vote of thanks to Lieut.-Colonel Lyon and Major B. C. Kirk, M.C., and Mr. Les. Whitelaw, chairman, vicechairman, and hon. treasurer respectively, was carried with acclamation. Mr. E. C. Hale, representing headquarters of the Wellington Association, gave a short address dealing with the activities being undertaken throughout the Wellington district. After explaining the various methods taken to rally returned men to join the R.S.A., he stated that it was found the only way to do this properly was for each member of an auxiliary to tackle a nonmember individually, and not to let him go until the joined the association.

UNFIT RETURNED MEN. Mr. Hale also stated that there were over 500 men on the employment register in Wellington who were not capable, owing to war wounds and to after-war sicknesses, of giving 100 per cent, efficient service. The association was strenuously endeavouring to place them in suitable jobs. It had to be remembered that employers, no matter how sympathetic they were to returned men, had to get the best results from their employees, consequently the association realised that the employers could not be expected to engage returned men who could not give 100 per cent, efficiency. Recently the association had taken the matter up with the local bodies, suggesting that a subsidy be paid by the association of, say, 20 per cent., towards any member of the association who was unable to give of his best. Another matter mentioned by Mr. Hale was the replenishing of household linen and clothing, not only for returned men who had been on relief work, but also for those men who had been in constant work but at a small wage. He stated that if the auxiliary went carefully into the matter the numbers who were worse off than the unemployed men would surprise members. This was another question which should be tackled by the incoming executive. He stated that any case forwarded to the association would be carefully reviewed and sent to the right quarters. On the motion of Lieut.-Colonel Lyon it was decided to send a letter of thanks and hope of speedy recovery to Mrs. Inwood, who is expected to leave the hospital this month. Lieut.Colonel Lyon reminded members that Mrs. Inwood had been a valued worker for the auxiliary, and it was on the night of December 19 last, after spending the evening helping to arrange the Christmas party for the children, that on alighting from a tramcar she was accidentally knocked down and suffered considerable injuries.