R.S.A. CONFERENCE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 158, 20 June 1935, Page 9

R.S.A. CONFERENCE

Membership Now 24,451

By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 19. The -annual conference of the Returned Soldiers’ Association assembled to-day, Sir Andrew Russell presiding and the Mayor of Wellington, Air Hislop, performing the formal opening. The annual report was adopted and committees were appointed to meet and report ou the different activities of the association. The report stated that the membership of associations had increased by 2811, bringing the grand total to 24,451, as at March 31. Sir Andrew Russell produced a gavel made from a piece of teak from the decking of H.M.A.S. Sydney, and presented to the association by the Australian memorial board of management, and read a letter from General Chauvel, chairman of the board, in which he eaid the gift would serve as a memento of the stirring days of 1914, when the Sydney escorted the New Zealand and Australian transports across the Indian ocean. Ju connection with the report, Sir 'William Perry referred to the provision of £2OOO a year by the Government for running the Soldiers’ Civil Re-establishment League. Ho said the association had found Ministers of the Crown anxious to help, and now that times were improving they could look forward to more rapid progress. He felt sure something would be done to remove the pension anomalies, and headquarters hoped to get some legislation passed in the interest of “burned out” men. Sir Andrew Russell said lie hoped the delegates would get behind the War Veterans’ Allowances Bill and do their utmost to see that it received n niiznl I’wi iil inn in I •:» rll nmi !11