RECORD REUNION.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 June 1933, Page 6

RECORD REUNION.

LEVIN AND DISTRICT RETfJRN- < ED SOLDIERS. I 4 ■ ] ASSOCIATION TO A 1 STRONG- POSITION. ■ The most successful reunion yet held by the' Levin branch of the Re- I turned Soldiers’ Association took place in St. Mary’s Hall last evening. The - capacity of the building was taxed to the utmost, much, extra seating accommodation having to be arranged at the last minute. In addition to a large representation of the local branch, there were members of the .Foxton, Shannon and Toikomaru subbranches, also friends of Diggers. (Presiding over the assembly was Major G. D. Hamilton (President of the Levin branch)’, who had on either side of him the Mayor (Mr P. W. Goldsmith) and Mr IS. J. Harrison (general secretary of the R.S.A.) Mr E. Hogg, president of the Horowhenua branch of the South African Veterans’ Association, was also at the head table. An apology for absence, with a message of good cheer, was received from Mr C. Gronquest, president of the Shannon sub-branch, who was away from the district. The proceedings were marked by great heartiness and an evident spirit of solidarity among the ex-service men in the whole district.. The number of toasts was email, the principal speech being made by Mr Harrison, who gave some interesting facts relating to the condition of the movement in the Dominion and the doings of the parent body. The greater part of the evening was passed, in song and story, and excellent entertainment was provided by parties from Palmerston North and Foxton. Despite the • unexpected magnitude of the attendance, refreshments were foupd for all, and the, hot supper served halfway through the proceedings * was greatly relished. The toasts of the King and the Prince of Wales were loyally honoured, and community singing of. soldier ditties followed. DIGGER® COMING TOGETHER-. In addressing the gathering, Mr Harrison stated that the fact that the attendance had overtaxed the hall was an indication of what was happening throughout the R.SA-. It was because they were in a tight place that the Diggers were rallying to the Association so well. It was by the concerted action of the returned men that their job was being done. At present they were engaged in active service which was worse than that of war because they could not get at the difficulties. However, a wonderful example was being shown to New Zealand of what loyalty and unity could do. The membership of the R.S.A'. during the past year increased by 45 per cent. There were 51 branches that had increased their membership, and of these 15 had doubled or tprebled their member-, ship. - The attendance at this gathering was clear evidence that the Association in this district was going to put up a record next year. The number of new members was surprising the officers at headquarters. The effetct of the co-operation of loyal men on the public had to be remembered. It (was important to know that one body in the Dominion stood four-square—and that was the Diggers’ -organisation. Mr Harrison did not think that -the growth of membership was due to unemployment. This was his 14th year with the R.S.A., and be believed that it was swinging back on the pendulum to where it was in i l92 1 2-23 The reason was that the men who had re-es-tablished themselves were beginning to see that the men who were “up against it ” were being helped by the various branches; and those who were the better off were asking themselves why they should not help the Society that was doing this. Approximately 80,000 New Zealanders (had returned from the War, and of that number 20,000 men were on pension. Of the remaining 60,000 there were barely 20,000 unemployed, so there were about 40,000 who could afford to join the Association. At a Legion rally in America, it had been said, “It is not what you get out of it, but’ what you put into it.” • WORK FOUND FOB THE PARTLY DISABLED. Some of the problems handled (Mr Harrison continued) were hs yet in their infancy. The question in which he was most vitally interested was the •re-establishment of the disabled soldier. For years the association had been endeavouring to induce the Government to utilise the remaining ability of the disabled men. The organisation all along to get something for them; now it was /on the threshold of success. Two hundred men were doing work and enjoying it, and benefitting in health by the occupation given them by the R.S.A. in its effort. The Association had agitated for the Commission to inquire into, the remaining ability of disabled soldiers —whether it was worth while to do something to absorb them®and give them useftll vocations. Many people had said that it was too late for this, but it was not. In Dunedin partially disabled men were turning out fibre-cane and leather suitcases that were the equal of • anything of the kind that could be purchased in the world. At .Gisborne basketmaking was being carried on, and a contract had been secur-' ed with a shipping company for the supplying of coal-baskets, bread-baskets, and laundry-baskets. Not so much by what they were earning as by the occupations provided for them, these returned soldiers had become happier

men and their health was improving. The Association wanted to go further ' and prove that such works could be done by disabled soldiers even if they were up in their forties. If the Association maTde a success of these schemes, it should be possible for them to be taken up by the nation for civilians who had been irijureli in accidents. BELIEF OF DISTRESS. Unemployment was the biggpst problem in New Zealand at present. The E.SIA. had a record for relief that could not be beaten by any other organisation in the Dominion. In response to prodding from the 8.5. A., grants for unemployment relief out of the Canteen Fund commenced in 1927, and the National War Funds Council, started to make grants in the same year. From 1927 to the beginning of this year the amount of money that had been made available and expended for unemployed ex-servicemen was £14)5,000 from the Canteen and War Funds and £60,000' from Poppy Days. These were amounts not counting subsidies, which nearly every branch had received from 1927 onwards. The Association co-operated with the Canteen Fund Board and the National War Funds Council, but both funds were suffering. This year the organisation wanted £25,000' out of the Canteen Fund; last year it got £15,000, and the previous year £12,000. The War Funds Council granted £IO,OOO in the past year, and the same amount would be obtained from it this year. There was also £lo,oob from Poppy Day. And so the work went on., The Association was endeavouring to do what it could to assist the soldier settlers. -If Diggers knew of any of their comrades who were in diffilculty, they should not hesitate to send them to the Association.- • REVALUATION. 'The speaker referred to the revaluation of soldier. settlements, the thought of which had come from the former President of the Levin branch, Dr. Gow', who had suggested at the Conference that boards of inquiry should be set up. Those boards had proved up to the hilt that revaluations . were necessary. When Section 2 of the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act, 1922, was brought in, the Association called it the “one man in, one ' man outV policy, and told the Govern- ! ment that it was only going to aggras vate the trouble and cause high, prices ; for land. The Government went ahead, 5 and the prices of land’went up immed- > lately, because when one man went ■ out another was looking for the land. L government sympathy.

-'Mr Harrison added that it had been an eye-opener to the members who attended the deputation to Ministers on Thursday to find that they could talk for over an hour on the problems over which they had wanted to secure a hearing. “If the financial (circumstances of the Dominion were better/ > he said, “we would have no difficulty in getting our problems solved/’ DEVIN BRANCH’S PROGRESS.

The gathering was addressed by the Mayor, who proposed “Success to the R.S.A.” He referred to the wide activities of the organisation, and hoped that the Levin' branch would make still greater progress and do still better work than iu the past.

Replying on behalf of the RjS.A., Mr Hamilton*.said this was the first occasion that the present Mayor had attended one of these reunions and he hoped it would not be His Worship’s last visit. Mr Hamilton went on to say that the Association’s membership last year was under 20,000. He appealed to all present to endeavour to secure more members. It was only by having a strong backing from the returned men that the organisation could obtain the assistance and help that it deserved. The membership of the Levin branch last year Was 179. When jhe was first made president of the branch, its membership was in tfife seventies. There was no reason why it should not reach 270, because the men were in the district. OTHER TOASTS. The Chaiirma*n “Fallen, Comrades,” whose memory was honoured in silence; and the toast of “The Army, Navy and Air Force” was proposed by Mr Harrison 1 and acknowledged by Dr. L. J. Hunter. ■ The concert programme was provided by Messrs Chapman Bros, (humorous duets), A. Wilson (recitations), J. D. MeQuin and J. Renwiek (songs), from Palmerston North, and Messrs C. Clark and J. Shorthouse (recitations), from Foxton. Accompaniments were played by Messrs Renwiek, Harrison and C. Sorensen.