EMPIRE SERVICE LEAGUE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 218, 16 August 1918, Page 6

EMPIRE SERVICE LEAGUE.

HASTINGS BRANCH.

There was a good attendance at the annual meeting of members of the Hastings branch of the Empire Service League, held in the Municipal Buildings last night, Mr. JPhillips occupied the chair. Letters of apology for absence were read from Messrs. John and Mason Chambers, Dr- Felkin, and others. Miss Hydge (headmistress of Woodford House) gave a brief resume of matters that were discussed at the conference in Wellington. It was resolved there that each branch should select for itself a special sphere to which to devote its activities in Empire service. Miss Fraser (Principal of lona College) gave an interesting address on great fields open to the League in which to do educational work. The idea of the League was a splendid one and good work had already been done in other places. The speaker spoke particularly on the educational aims of the League with respect to children. New Zealand had led the ■way in taking care of the bodies ol children. She emphasised the importance of giving every child proper hours of rest. There were thou sands of children who were not receiving sufficient sleep. A hundred years ago. before the int’-oduction ot gas, which made it possible for people to be out at night under comfortable conditions, everyone had plenty of sleep. The dropping of home life was the cause of children being out so iri’ch efter dark. Again, there should afco be s n tne national means of supervising the literature that wns placed in the hands of children, fore provision should bo made f°r establishing school libraries and flooding tb» children with good wholesome reading. There was no harm in reading wholesome and sensible love stories, which the children what their future life meant. Children should be'taught religion to give them a sense of their knowledge in God. I The Question of forming a branch of the Workers’ Education Association was introduced by Mr. Beg. Gardener. If nronerly organised the Wellington branch might assist them by sending professors. He thought a separate committee could be appointed to take stens to establish a branch here. The Hastings League must do some practical work, and he thought the matter of assisting the branch of the Workers’ Education Association at Hastings would bring excellent results. | Mr. Crompton Smith gave the meeting some interesting informa- ‘ tion that he had gleaned from the; organiser, Mr. Meredith Atkinson. I The association was doing remarkably good work and it’s value was being felt. The classes were not only j attended by the workers, but by the! employers themselves, and after a short time the class feeling that bad , existed between them was killed, i The League was started in London' ten years ago and as a testimony of i its good work, three workers were > now members of the London County. Council, and many others belonged J to different local bodies. They J should support the movement with all their energy. The Mayor (Mr. H. lan Simson) said the League had plenty of material to work upon, and he was in entire sympathy with its aims.. Mr. C. Collins snoke from his own experiences of the*knowledge he had . gained by attending classes in Wellington. It was, he said, one of the finest movements in New Zealand. You could choose your own subjects, and already in other centres' much good had resulted from these classes.

Mr- L. A. Denton also spoke on the objects of the League and thought that they could look upon the next year’s work of the League with pride. The League was non-political. The Mayor said he did not agree that the League should be non-poli-tical. They should stimulate interest in political matters and see that they had an honest Government in power . The Empire League could be a big factor in setting the question of how to deal with our soldiers when they return. Mr. J. H. Joll said the settlement of our soldiers was one of the greatest problems they had to face. The men would never go back to their old conditions and there would be a great rumpus when they re turned and they were going to ask for something. After a general discussion, it was decided on the motion of Mr. Crompton Smith, seconded by Mr. A.. Lowe “That this League shall include among its activities for the present year the assistance of the work of the Workers’ Educational Association and that the Executive and Mr. Cartwright be a committee, with power to add to their number, to go into the matter: a’so that a recommendation be made f'om this meeting to the Domini m Executive that the League take un the question of renatr’-’tinn .-f Wirned soldiers.” Mr. T. Philos was re-elected chairman for the ensuing year. Mr. L. A- Denton. Secretary, and Mr. R. Gardner. >’on. Tiensmer. these with M”-rrs D .E. Davis and Mr. C. Whitlock f rrr-ng an executive.