RETURNED SOLDIERS’ AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 18650, 3 June 1924, Page 3

RETURNED SOLDIERS’ AFFAIRS

EXECUTIVE MEETING. Tho fortnightly meeting of the Executive Committee of the Dunedin Returned Sol-' iliers’ Association was held last evening, Mr J. C. M'Crae presiding. The Secretary (Mr A. C. Laing) stated that ho had received a letter from the secretary of (lie New .Zealand and South Seas Exhibition, Company conveying the thanks of (lie directors for the association’s appreciation of (ho company’s action in granting space for ex-soldiers’ exhabits at a nominal charge. Mr Laing also reported that forty-two brunches of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association had been circularised with regard to securing exhibits. The Secretary stated that live new members were elected, throe transfers in ami eleven out wore granted, and four resignations were accepted. Remission of arrears of subscriptions was granted in the case of five members. The membership at May 31 stood at 968, which was about thirty short of the total at the samo period last year. SARGOOD REQUEST. In connection with the interest on the Sargood Bequest, the secretary reported that ho had attended the annual meeting of the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association, and that it hail been tiecidotl Unit the present arrangement continue for tl 10 ensuing year, whereby llie Rot timed Soldiers' As-oeiatiou would receive half of the accumulated interest, and (ho Y.M.C.A. the remainder. Remarking that it was a very sails factory slate of affairs, Ihe President, ex pressed the thank.- nt the association (*■ Air l.aiug for the able manner in widen he had explained the i-conomic. pensuc problem to the Patriotic .Association : executive. AN ECONOMIC PENSION. The Secret saw reported that after con siderahle trouble and Ireum-nt correspo;’ demo, the Pcn-aons Board haul grant*an economic pension to a- rehirned soldi-' who conducted a small business in a on"’ trv town. The man ii a! received sever* injuries to his lacc, and had lost a le during war service. Ihe man was earn ing about 12 !0s jvr ’.vi , * , k. was mat neo and ’was also suppnrl mg his mother. B was a. great .-druggie for him to make endmeet. The Pension Beard had now granted an ecor* mi ic pen-son of hi P f r m addition to the fid! pen.-ion which the man was rnc*'!\'ing as the result *d Ins othe* disabilities. A Idler bad bean race iced from the ox soldier thanking ihe i , "i-oei ,| l ion for itefforts on bis Uhah. The President said that- it- was saiisi'ml-ory tiled the economic pension bad been obtained for tins man. but be expressed regret that, as in the previous erne* the a-iocialiun had dealt, with, p-usious had to be dragged trom the boa'-d, although Hm claims made were reasonable. SIT’BI.V OB TREEN. Air D. A. Rickey, of Wainma Settletnenl wrote ft at ing that be had been informed that Urn grant of free trees up .0 1,000 I.* soldier .-et tiers hud been v.it-n----drawn by the Eoivstry Department, Christchurch. l.’Lo cos! of the tiecs ‘w*‘S a comparatively small matter. _ wrote Mr Uickev. but t'e.e cost of fencing was a serious'one. Tim neet-ssity for fencing in most cases would not have been mcuue* had it not Ivett lor the Ministers promise with regard to the supply ol_ trees to soldier settlers. In Horae eases it had ntut been ihe fault of the sel tiers that the. trees had not been planted already. The writer bail applied tor 1.000 trees last vear, ami he had received only obU. He asked whether the association could do anytlilng in the* ir.utkT. It the do partment could not supply ;k R Decs definite!’.', he wondered whether um\ could hi* supplied lu those who had had previous ajiihical.ions refused, .as such men must have gone to the expense of fencing in preparation for the trees. i . It was decided that ihe Mimstci ot Lands be written to asking that a furt.ier amount be placed on me Estimates, so that a furl her supply of trees would be supplied to soldier settlers, ANNUAL FOOTBALL MATCH. A letter was received trom the sct-ic-tary of the Christchurch Re I tim'd Bo'dim’ Association stating that the Canterbury -Rugby Umou had granted the. use of Lancaster Bark mr the annual match botwe-en the Dmmdiu am! Christ church Returned Soldier.-.' As-sociaticns, which is to be placed on Saturday. August AD D. Stuart was appointed selector of the Dunedin t-cam, and Mr R. ,1 orranco was appointed manager. 1 L lie m -cessary at • ranguments were left in the hands of the Rev. Hector Maclean and Merit's K. I’orsvth and E. J. Anderson. BLINDED SOLDIERS. Corrcspoaili'iice was received from Mr >l. \V. N. ‘M'lnlosli, secretary of the St. Dun-slan's As:ncialum of New Zealand stut-ing that in accordance with a resolution passe*! at, a reunion of blinded soldiers held in Auckland recently the blinded soldiers in every pari of the dominion desire, through him, to accord a heariv vole oi tuauks to the R.S.A. of every town in New, Zealand for their untiring efforts on thchr behalf, ilu-yweic not nnmimbui, and fully appreciated all that had been demo ten’ them. they: realised that the- many privileges winch: they enjoyed were the result of the. efforts of the Reunited boldim’ Associations in tin; various towns of the dominion. I Inn president remarked (hat it was pleasing lo know filial, the association’s efforts had been appreciated. A loiter was also received from Ah' CTutha Mackenzie., director ot the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, Auckland, stating that., although the writer was (ho representative of the .St. Dunstan s Hostel, Loudon, in the after care of New Zealand blinded soldiers, he was not permitted, under the War Bunds Act, Lo handle moneys for the In-iic-lit oi blind soldiers. Tito body recognised by Ihe Government as the administrators of moii-ms allocated strictly for tho benefit of blind soldiers was tho commercial travellers’ blinded soldiers’ fund, of which .Mr IE I l ’. Nces was tho local representative. This fund was. doing good work, a.nd IDo -writer recommended that (lie money earmarked for this purpose by the Dunedin Association bo handed over to lliai, fund.

It was decided to act upon the suggestion.