Red Cross Commissioner’s Appointment

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 44, 21 February 1945, Page 4

Red Cross Commissioner’s Appointment

R.S.A. REITERATES ITS STRONG PROTEST (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 20. At the quarterly meeting of the Dominion executive committee of the N.Z.R.S.A., including district vicepresidents, the previous protest made in connection with the appointment of Me. C. Meachen was endorsed and reiterated in the following form: “The Dominion executive committee of the N.Z.R.S.A. having read the public statement of the Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Crosfc. Society regarding the selection of Mr. C. Meachen as New Zealand Hick aqd Wounded Commissioner in the Middle* East, desires to reiterate its strong protest against the appointment for the following reasons: Firstly, he is not a returned serviceman; secondly, though he was held on appeal ou grounds of essentiality it was found possible to enable him to leave New Zealand wfithiu a few days of his appointment; thirdly, the services of a fully qualified returned serviceman from World War 1 were very available for this appointment, but were not utilised; fourthly, the policy of the Joint Council as adopted at its previous meeting was that the appointee should be a returned serviceman of either war, •but this Inptrvctioß wm» ignored k v lhe sub-committee in making the recommendation for the appointment. “The association wishes to stress the importance of the principle of preference for returned servicemen in any appointments to public positions, aad more particularlv wdiere such appointments are connected with the welfare of any servicemen. A further mutter of importance that has been evidenced b}- this appointment is _ the necessity for those whose responsibility it is to make such appointments to inquire very fully into all the relevant circumstances. it would appear that jin this case some at least of those concerned in making the appointnieu£ were unaware that the appointee h ry been held ou appeal.”