P.N. CITIZENS' LOYAL ASSOCIATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1013, 5 November 1917, Page 6

P.N. CITIZENS' LOYAL ASSOCIATION.

Everybody's Theatre was crowded last;' evening when tho Palmcrstoii North (-'lll ; sens' Loyal Association held its -.first.'public"' meeting. Mr 0. Y. Graham occupied the .'hair. ~ r Mr Graham, in explaining tlie objects ol '

tlie Association, said Unit the) weie.not mil to attack any incinbcr of Urn Patriotic Society, but to criticise ils policy. The Association was formed to assist the sick and wounded and soldiers dependents, and if tho Patriotic Society had done its duty to these men, it. would have had lour times as much money in hand as it lias now. The speaker cited a number of cases of alleged neglect, by the Patriotic Society, of returned soldier*- He was sure the new Association would I'e" Pi benefit to Palmerstou North. All its olficers wen- doing the work for love, but if the work got too big, they would get il secretary, who would have to be a returned soldier. Mr Bradlev thanked the Labour Party Cor standing' aside to allow the Association to hold its meeting, and congratulated Mr Hankins on his work in connection with the Tobacco Fund. He also congratulated the Patriotic. Society nn gain ; jn-r u lot of inonev, but. criticised Hi tlie(hods of paving it out. lib contended that the Government should pay soldiers dependents weoklv, instead of monthly, He further tulvocated the aims of the Assoeiiition and said that it would employ no pant member. ...'-.. I Mr \Y. Thomson, in stating the Association's reasons in standing up for returned soldiers, said that if rumours of the .kind which were going about were not nipped in the bud they would in time come to be holievcd. History had shown this, and the same thing was now going on m Palmerston North. "If you ever hear a. man slander our soldier.-. ' said the sp-ak-•r "and have a stick in your hand, give it'to him across the back." When the soldiers cam-- back from the ( nmea am the Indian Mutiny they got Is « day and people called them useless loafers. V, <' must treat our returned men as gentlemen and heroes, otherwise they would-be Iriven to the very things we are trying to save them from. In regard to a letter rthich appeared in the public press makin.>~"illeirarions of immorality against ttrii'islT sohfiers in India. Mr Thomson said that'he had forwarded the letter to Sir j al , lC s .Ulen. wh,., sent it to Surg.eon-Gen-.->r:;l Henderson. The hitter characterised he whole thing as rubbish. Thcipeaker now t, dled for a public apology from the writer ot the letter. ' Speaking of the Patriotic So■ietv and ivtunn-d s-ddi-Ts. Mr I homson lefe'ried to a. discussion which had taken ,1- K ,. regarding six o'clock closing; and ibo die iftiogatiou that i\ larjre. mimb-i- ol i,'e men we're under the influence of liquor. •Th.e whole thiutr." said the speaker, ' is v crave insult to I.'ahnorstpn >'orth arid a shocking insult to the returned soldiers, "onlinuing, Mr Thomson said that WanPatriotic Soeietv had £IOO,OOO, while ours had onlv £22.000. He asked what the local Soeietv had done to put men on he lard. They had got a certain sum ■A nionev and had it tied up for 21 years, by which time they would all be grandfathers Everv man should be given iTUI) uul trcat-d as'a gentleman, He I hen referred *o certain influences at work in hngland, and with regard to the new Association he asked that it be given a fantrial. (Applause.) \t the conclusion ol Mr I hom-son s speech ;|i-. chairman called for quesiiorH. -e-veral ot which were answered, after wmch a.vote. ot rliaiiks to the chairman for presiding was •arricd. Mr Thomson then moved a vol- ctcensuu ,„lh,-. Patriotic Society, asking all to Stand vho disapproved of Ua policy. A large per-.enta-e ol the audience stood and Ihe ipenSsl'i then stud: "Thank God; by ;,u,h, vou're British '."