“Put Us On Our Feet”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21809, 4 September 1945, Page 4

“Put Us On Our Feet”

When a member of the Gisborne R.S.A. executive, expressing his owr, opinion, stated at a gathering of South African and Imperial veterans on Saturday night that the existence of another association of ex-servicemen need not be regarded with concern there was a prompt response by the chairman of the gathering, Mr -L Hurrey. The first speaker had held that if a rival association followed a policy of working for the soldiers and then dependents, it would be strengthening the voice of the original organisation of ex-servicemen which he represented. Mr Hurrey was emphatic, however, in his advice to returning servicemen to work through the Returned Services' Association “That association put us on our feet, after we had struggled along without results,” lie said. “It is sound and strong, and it has done great work for veterans of all our wars. The opportunity to become members and eventually to take over the organisation is something the Kiwis cannot afford to ignore ” Other speakers, on behalf of Imperial men, stated that the Gisborne R,S_A. had actually done more for some of their number than than it had done for its own original members, and that this goodwill would never be foreotten.