NO POLITICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24102, 22 October 1941, Page 8

NO POLITICS

EX-SERVICEMEN'S MOVE PROPOSAL DEFEATED A LIVELY DISCUSSION A proposal to delete from its constitution tlie words "non-party political" was considered at the quarterly meeting of the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association last night. After a protracted and at times noisy discussion, the motion to make the change was defeated on the voices, apparently by a substantial majority. It was explained by the president, Mr. J. W. Kendall, who introduced the motion, that before one of the association's rules could be altered the meeting discussing the proposal had to be attended by at least 10 per cent of the financial membership. This now totalled 3771, and the attendance at the meeting was 41.'!, so the matter could therefore be dealt with. President's Opinion

Mr. Kendall read advice from tho Dominion association that tho acceptance of the proposal would not necessarily give the association freedom to take political action until a further article of the constitution had been amended. The letter also stated that adoption of the proposal would cause the Auckland body, because it would thou not be on the same lines as the Dominion body, to be suspended. Ever since the last war, said Mr. Kendall, moving the adoption of the proposal, the returned man had been fighting for a square deal for himself and his dependants. Year after year remits urging improvements had been sent to tho Dominion Many of them were carried. After 25 years what had the returned man got?

A Voice: Bob Semple. "Now," continued Air. Kendall, "we have a new war on our hands. Our young men are fighting for their Empire and country. Most of them are your sons. The position boils down to this —are your sons coming hack to the same treatment as you have received?" A Voice: They will come back to the Social Security Department. Another Voice: God help them. Mr. Kendall said all that happened now was that deputations waited on the Minister, were politely received, were told that the Minister of Finance would have to be consulted, were then told that the public purse could not meet the expense, and that was the end of the matter. Only political action could change this. Arguments Against Change Mr. B. J. Jacobs, Dominion vicepresident, said there was in what Mr. Kendall had said which justified political action, If the Auckland proposal was carried, it "would not disturb the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association at all, but it would divide the Auckland association. Everv other association in New Zealand would vote against the proposal. There was no common ground politically on which returned men could stand. If thev wanted to stand togothcr politics could not be allowed to enter their relationships. The most ill-conooived action they could take would bo to become political. Mr. C. W. Batten, a member of the Dominion council, expressed similar views. He said the proposal would not remove returned men's difficulties. A very great deal had been achieved without the use of political action. All that would happen if the proposal were adopted would be that Auckland would embark on a very dangerous experiment which would give the men no advantages they did not already possess. During the following discussion the suggestion was made that the adoption of the proposal would lead to the secession of those arguing against it and the formation of a new body in Auckland. After several members had spoken for and against the motion, with interjections becoming more frequent as time advanced, the motion was put to the meeting and declared lost on the voices. The discussion lasted about one and a-half hours.