R.S.A. Discusses Australians’ Visit In 1940

Northern Advocate, 29 July 1938, Page 9

R.S.A. Discusses Australians’ Visit In 1940

[Per Press Association. Copyright] WELLINGTON. This Day.

Appreciation of the reception and hospitality given to the New Zealand contingent which visited Australia this year for the Anzac Day celebration was expressed by the Dominion Council of the Returned Soldiers' Association yesterday. The council confirmed the invitation already given to the Returned Soldiers and Sailors’ Imperial League of Australia to return the visit in 1940, New Zealand’s Centennial year. In discussion on preparations for the entertainment of the Australians should they accept the invitation, Mr J. D. Harper suggested that local associations be recommended to raise a subscription of 2/- a member. This would provide £3OOO toward the cost of entertainment. The chairman, the Hon. W. Ferry, M.L.C., said the' present scheme was for the Australians to move throughout the country, but to concentrate at Wellington for the Anzac Day celebration. It followed that many arrangements would devolve upon local associations. In the meantime, delegates could go back and arrange for subscriptions to be collected, as suggested by Mr Harper, and placed in a separate fund. Mr W. D. Shelton (Gore) said his branch was to move a remit that headquarters apply for permission to run an art union. Mr Perry said that surely the New Zealand association was not going to entertain its Australian friends by means of an art union. As illustrating the state of public feeling about the value of the recent Australian visit, he had been handed two donations of £5 and one of £25 for the reception of the Australians. There was to be a conference of Australian associations in Newcastle in September. If the New Zealand invitation was accepted, the conference would formulate its plans for the trip. A committee had met the Internal Affairs Department, and the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, had given an assurance that New Zealand would do for the Australians what they did for the New Zealand contingent.