RETURNED SOLDIERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9247, 14 January 1916, Page 3

RETURNED SOLDIERS

CLUB IN WELLINGTON RESULT OF CAPTAIN SIMSON'« PRACTICAL WORK. Having conceived the idea of a Returned Soldiers' . Club (for non-com-missioned officers and men), Captain gimson, who is himself a, returned soldier, and has therefore a strong fellow-feeling for the men who have "done their bit" for King and country at the front, has lost no time in putting that idea into very practical shape. That Captain Simson is a "hustler," who ©an in some respects give even a Yankee hustler points, is shown by the fact that he started oat on Monday morning to look for suitable premises for the proposed club, and by 10 o'clock on Tuesday morning he had secured the commodious, centrally situated, rooms in tho Star Chambers (next to the "Times" office), formerly occupied by the Black Cat Tea Rooms. Since then the rooms have been in the cleaners' hands, Captain Simson has been busily engaged, in obtaining- the necessary furniture, ■ pictures, fittings,, and ao forth, and on Tuesday afternoon next the Returned Soldiers' Club/is to be opened as a going concern. The Hon. James Allen (Minister for Defence) and the Hon. A. L. Herdman (the "Minister for Returned Soldiers," as Captain Simson terms him) have been asked to take part in the opening ceremony; a number of returned soldiers will also take part, and several ladies have very kindly - undertaken to provide afternoon tea for the occasion. CLUB ROOMS DESCRIBED. The club rooms include a fine large rojm on the first floor, overlooking Lambton quay, and four smaller rooms. The big room*' is to bo used as the general olub room, readingroom, writing-room, and games room; and once, a week Captain Simson, who has arranged for a big sheet, suitable for lantern shows and moving pictures to" be provided, intends to have a concert or other entertainment in it. A room adjoining is to be provided with a gas ring, hot-water urn, etc., ■' 'so that the men can have afternoon tea on their own,"' as the captain put it. "We think that we shall have no difficulty in getting ladies to take turns in supplying us with the necessary cakes, biscuits, etc.," he said, "and the mineral-water manufacturers would possibly do the same in regard to 'soft drinks'; and so' we'could establish a sort of 'dry canteen.'" Next to this room .will be the secretary's office,, and on the second floor will be situated a "wash and brush-up room," and a private .sitting room, in which men who wish to have a private talk with ■ each other; or with their - friends can do 60. Captain Simson calls the club, which is to bo opened' on Tuesday next, the Wellington Branch of ' the Returned Soldiers' Club. • A VALUABLE REGISTER.

It is his intention to organise, at leastj each of the big- centres of the Dominion, at any rate the nucleus of a | club which. will serve ae> a meetingi place for returned soldiers—a place ] where rest and privacy can be obtained, where there will be reading room*, writing rooms, etc., and where a register will be kept showing in .regard to each member the surname, Christian name, rank, regimental number regiment, Main Body or Reinforcement, where served, whether wounded or sick, who.re\ wounded (Gallipoli. etc.); hospital where treated, ship returned .to New Zealand by, address in Now Zealaad, occupation or intention*, etc. All returned-non-commissioned officers and men are eligible for free membership of the club, and become member* sirrply by registering their names and addresses. A returned soldier will be employed at a reasonable salary as secretary ■ and caretaker of the crub. Th» club will be open to ail returned, soldiers, whether their homes are in_ Wellington or elsewhere, and all will be invited to register (the particular! above-enumerated at the club, so that a system may be inaugurated by whicn paronts, relations, or friends of those who are fighting or have been killed, wounded, or invalided, can by writing to the club secretary, obtain the addresses of men who, in the field or in the hospital or aboard ship, were in touch with their kith and kin. In this way the record kept will not only bo :of interest bnt of great use • and valine. Returned men on their arrival in' New Zealand, says Captain Simson, will be immediately notified of the address of the Returned Soldiers' Club,in each town; and that the arrangements and c'onduot of the clul> will bo all that can'be desired, goes without saying. FINANCIAL AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS.

The promises for the Wellington branch, of the dub hare been taken .by l (aptnin Simson for six months, and he has arranged, or is arranging, for the furniture and the necessary alterations, having obtained, with the assistance of friends, a certain mm for that purpose. A telephone will'be connected with the clnb, and returned soldiers can at once use the club as their address for letters and (parcels'. With regard to the future financial arrangement* of the club, Captain Simson's idea is to obtain a certain number of subscribers who will each guarantee £1 per month for twelve months. He has already obtained about twenty such guarantors, half of whom are ladies, some beir.g mothers of boys at the front; and fee will be very pleased to hear from any other ladiea or gentlemen who will guarantee each a like amount. Mr A. Qray (ot Messrs Gray and Jackson), Mr C. It. Smith (general manager for New Zealand of the Alliance Aasnrance.. Company), and Mr James Macintosh (president of the Chamber of. Commerce), hava agreed to act as trustees for the clnb. Most of the furniture belonging to the club has been presented by ladies who appreciate the object* of the club. A provisional committee will be formed "to carry on," but pending the handing over of the ciub to the permanent committee to the satisfaction of the trustees, Captain Simson takes full responsibility for the finance arid conduct of the club, etc. "I intend," he says, "to appeal for subscribers, a list of whose names will be posted in the club; also for additional furniture, piano, gramophone, books, refreshment*, etc.," in which connection he would rewind iateadi&g gtrara

that "he giTOS twice who give* quickly" j and ho emphasises the fact that "every returned soldier is ipso facto a member." PARENTS' INQTJTRIES AND VISITS WELCOMED. He baa under consideration a metal badge, circular in shape, with the words "fNew Zealand Returned Soldiers' Club" round the circumference, while oa a bar across the circle will appear in large letters "R.S." for Returned Soldier. This, at least, until something, official is. done to distinguish returned, soldiers in mufti from civilians in general. Inquiries and: visits- from parents ■of returned soldiers will be welcomed at the club. It is hoped that any returned soldier who wants to find a pal will write, to • the club, and that any mother or father who has a boy billed; or wounded, or missing, or invalided, will write to the club and ask if, any of the boys of a certain regiment, which waa at Gallipoli on a certain day, and -who can tell anything about his or'.'her. boy, are members of the club. Huch letters will be circulated to the different club secretaries throughput the Dominion, and parents and friends may thus get in touch with.those who were with their boys at. the front and get particulars of them. Captain Simoon is rery enthusiastic about the advantages of a club for returned soldiers, where they will be absolutely "on their own," with no one to interfere with them; and he states that the club will be-handed over free, with furniture, pictures, piano, etc., to- the returned soldiers' provisional committee on Tuesday next, the opening day. It will after that belong to the returned soldiers.