FEILDING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 123, 24 April 1936, Page 5

FEILDING

ANZAC DAY

THE CITIZENS’ SERVICE.

While the parade of returned men in Feilding on Anzac Day has been gradually growing larger every year, and last Anzac Day reached record proportions, the service held at the Memorial in the Square in the afternoon. by the citizens has been gradually dwindling in attendance. In an endeavour to arrest this apparent civic apathy in the observance of a day notable in the annals of the Dominion, the Feilding Ministers’ Association recently approached the Feilding It.S.A. executive and advanced the proposal that the citizens’ service be held half an hour prior to the parade of returned men, who could later assemble and march to St. John’s Church for the service which has now become an inseparable part of the local observance of Anzac Day. The subject came up for discussion at the annual meeting of the Feilding Returned Soldiers’ Association on Wednesday, when although diverse views were put forward it was very plain that the returned men were ready in every wav to assist the citizens’ service by attending it, but would resent any interference with their own service and arrangements. (The retiring president (Mr T. IC. Hay) referred to the matter by explaining the change in the hour of the citizens’ service. He stated that with this alteration the R.S.A. had had nothing to do, the Ministers’ Association bringing it about. He understood that the alteration had been made for the reason that the afternoon service was not meeting with the success it warranted and it had been considered a better arrangement to hold the service in the morning when the returned soldiers could, if they desired, attend. The idea, the speaker would appeal to returned men and they would attend this service. The usual parade would be held and the soldiers’ service would follow at the Anglican Church.

Mr Logan detailed the arrangements that prevailed at the Levin observance, and suggested that in Feilding the returned men should show more co-operation with the citizens’ service. 1 Mr A. K. Robertshaw urged that the idea be carried further and the returned men be asked to parade and attend the citizens’ service in the morning in a body. This would be much better than the suggestion that the men just go to the citizens’ service if they wanted to. Mr F. J. Allen spoke in similar vein, but advised the association to proceed

with caution in the matter. He agreed that returned'' soldiers as citizens should attend the citizens’ service. He would go so far as to say that it was their duty to do so if they could, but not as returned soldiers. He felt very strongly on the point that nothing should be done to imperil the returned soldiers’ service and proceedings for the marking of Anzac D,av. The day would one day be lost as a day of remembrance as with other days, and he did not wish to see anything done by returned soldiers to hurry the arrival of that day. The ex-soldiers’ Anzac Day service in Feilding was unique and had taken years to build up, and nothing should be done to interfere with it. It was only a matter of time, the speaker went on to say, when Anzac Day as it was at present observed would pass away, but in the meantime the soldiers should see that the «fciy was kept as at present—a sacred da.y of remembrance. That the association should look well ahead before doing anything that would tend to interfere with the present arrangements was the opinion of Mr L. D. Miller, qnd Mr Wildbore urged that the soldiers link up with the citizens and hold a combined service on Johnston Park. He considered that the R.S.A. was not doing itself any good by holding aloof. Mr H. Bowater was averse to the present arrangement being altered. The president (Mr B. McLeod) said that the alteration in the hour would be more acceptable to all concerned, and he was confident that returned men would avail themselves of the opportunity of attending the service. The change was m the way of a.n experiment, and he felt it would be an improvement on the old order. The afternoon service had not been convenient for returned men and the timing the service for 10 a.m. would, lie fell!’, result in a large muster of both citizens and returned soldiers. SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS. From the Town Clerk (Mr C. H. Tate) yesterday particulars were received of the arrangements for the Anzac Day service on Saturday.- Arrangements this year vary from those of other years in so far as the civic service at the monument in Manchester Square has been changed from 3 p.m., to 10 a.m. It is intended that the service will finish at 10.30 a.m. to enable any returned soldiers present to take part in the usual Anzac parade immediately following. His Worship the Mayor will preside and the order of service will be as follows:—Hymn, “O God Our Help”; prayer, Rev. 11. W. Page; hymn, ‘‘God Of Our Fathers”; Scripture reading, Adjutant Parker; address, Rev. J. H. Allen; National Anthem; Last Post; laying on of official wreath; Benediction, Rev. A. L. Dixon. The singing will be led by the Feilding Salvation Army Band.

OLD PUPILS’ ASSOCIATION

MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE

The committee of the Feilding High School Old Pupils’ Association met on Wednesday night, Mr W. A. Carthew being in the chair. It was agreed to hold the annual

Tvimbolton reunion in May. Mr H. R. C. Wild advised that he would agree to the committee’s request to give the address at the reunion. The annual Wellington reunion was also discussed and it was decided to suggest June 30 to the Wellington committee 'as a suitable date.

Notification was received ;by the committee of a £2 2s prize which had been donated towards a competition for past and present pupils in • regard to the composing of a suitable song for the association. The words are to be the work of the composer, but they can be fitted to any suitable tune. Mr T. L. Seddon and Mr L. J. Wild were appointed judges of the competition, a provision being that there must be six or more entries. If the judges think fit, the chosen song will be recommended to the association as the official refrain of the association.

The committee decided to sot up an executive body, the secretary, the treasurer together with Miss A. Page, Miss K. Carthew and Mr N. Bramwell being appointed.

AERODROME WORK

MINISTERIAL REPLY.

In reply to the request recently made by the Feilding Aero Club to the Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple) for assistance in the speeding up of the formation work on the aerodrome at Taonui, the president of the club (Mr D. C. Cullinane) yesterday received the following reply from the Minister:—

“I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the Ist instant and, in reply;’ have to advise that it will not’ be possible for me personally to visit this aerodrome in the near future bub I am asking Mr J. Hodgens, M.P., to accept the invitation on my behalf. “Regarding the speeding up of construction work on this aerodrome, it is to be recognised that the provision of this aerodrome is not as urgent and necessary, from the Government’s viewpoint, as are others at present under construction.

“Unfortunately, at the present moment, my department is not in the position to equip all such works with the equipment and plant that would enable more satisfactory results from the labour employed thereon, but it is expected that, as other aerodrome works are completed and new equipment is procured, this factor will be remedied in due course. It is understood that trucks and rails, for instance, will be available shortly when the work at the Masterton aerodrome is completed.”

SWIMMING CLUB

DANCE FUNCTION

The Parish Hall, on Wednesday night, was well attended by members of the Feilding Swimming Club ana dance patrons generally on the occasion of the second dance of tne club. The hall was prettily decorated andj on the stage were tall black vases containing large artificial tangerine and pink flowers, relieved by black and silver foliage. Much credit for the success of the evening lay with the hard-working committee, comprising Mesdames J. Johnston, 0. Sporle, S. Menzies, J. Sporle, Miss Olive Sporle,, Mr P. Delehanty, and Mr C.

McColl. Music was rendered by a local orchestra. The tastefully served supper on the tables decorated with large bowls of red zinnias was much enjoyed. The winners of the competition dances were as follow:—Lucky spot, Miss E. McFarlane and Mr "A. Hansen ; lucky Gay Gordons, Miss E. Hosking and Mr Whyte; Monte Carlo, Miss E. Hosking and partner. Extras were contributed by Mr J. Rosoman and C. Anderson.

Among those present wore: Misses June Short, Rita Guard, E. Hutchinson, F. Shepherd. E. Hope, Olive Sporle, P. Sporle, E. Short, L. Roache, B. Bridge, J. Towler, M. Geange. J. Pettit, M. O’Reilly, J. AVorsfold, M. Allen, E. Fraser. P. Jones, M. Prior, I. Cleland. W. Peck, W Patton, E. Shepherd, N. Gaskin, ”• Cummings, M. ’ Milner, I. AVelling, •lean Short and Mesdames A. Pearse, Hayes, Jarrett, and Pettit.