RETURNED SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20243, 1 May 1929, Page 16

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

ASSOCIATION AFFAIRS.

OBSERVANCE OF ANZAC DAY.

"LESS DRAWN-OUT CEREMONY."

The future olscrvanco of Anzac Daywas one of many matters discussed at the thirteenth annual meeting of tho Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association hist evening. Lieutenant-Colonel T. 11. Dawson, retiring president, presided over an attendance of over 100. Licut.-Colonel Dawson reminded the meeting of tho recent utterances of tho Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, and remarked that many peoplo wore beginning to say that An;:ac Day, as now recognised, was rather a selfish observance. Apart from the hours of strain imposed on those taking official .part, there was the circumstances that tho wives and children of returned men saw littlo of iheir husbands and fathers through much of tho day. Rather should there be some change to permit of tho children in particular having a greater interest in Anzac Day with a less drawnout ceremony.

It was decided that a sub-committee should consider the question, arid with it tho possibility of Anzac Day addresses in schools being delivered on the morning of Anzac Day instead of on tho day before. Reviewing the annual report, published in the Herald on April 15, Lieut.Colonel Dawson made an appeal for larger membership. Although tho Auckland Association's membership had grown by 62 to 912 during the year, it was still well below the strength of tho Christchurch ' and Dunedin Associations. Largely through the very able services of the secretary, Mr. E. li. Sharp, the association had done excellent work in ths field of tho War Pensions Appeal Board. Returned men had found Sir Walter Stringer, chairman of the board, a most sympathetic and l'air-minded adjudicator. Tho following officers were elected: — President, Mr. A. C. A. Sexton; vicepresidents, Lieutenant-Colonel T. 11. Dawson and Messrs. E. W. Inder and S. C. Reid; executive committee, Messrs. T. S. Miller, M. K. Draffin, W. G. Camp, L. J. Lloyd, R. W. Wise, J. W. Kendall, G. Rothery, A. S. Lee, V. ■T. Dibble, J. Seabrook, W. Dove and W. Smeeton; delegates to annual conference at Wellington, Mr. A. C. A. Sexton and tho secretary, Mr. Iv H. Sharp; lion, treasurer, Mr. T. S. Miller; auditor, Mr. E. J. F. Kennedy.

Ways and means of beautifying tho soldier cemeteries of Auckland were referred to a committee to bring down a scheme. It was decided to urge Upon tho Government that all soldiers' graves should be mounted with a headstone at the cost of tho State. The chairman said that at present some graves had headstones furnished by tho Government, some stones provided by relatives of the soldier, and others none at all. "In my? opinion £lO is not much for tho State to provide for the grave of a dead soldier," he remarked.