NAVY LEAGUE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16942, 2 March 1917, Page 2

NAVY LEAGUE

OTAGO BRANCH. A meeting of the executive of the above was held at the Education Board office' yesterday afternoon, Vice-president (Mr J. A. Johnstone) in 'the chair, / ■ The Finance Committee approved the following account for payment:— Nay/ League, £12 Os Bd. The secretary reported .that the league was represented at many schools on the occasion, of the December vacation ceremonies, when the great questions of the hour were briefly and appropriately touched upon by its representatives. A cordial letter of thanks had been received from Captain Green, of H.M.S. New Zealand, for the much appreciated Christmas gifts to each, of the petty officers and men. The sum of £139 15s lid was received by the secretary of the Otago branch, and with this amount it was hoped that each of nearly a thousand men would receive a half pound of tobacco, a half pound of chocolate, and SO cigarettes. Admiral Sir John JelHooe personally sent his thanks and admiration of the magnificence of the response to the appeal made in this dominion on behalf of the British Seamen's Dependent Fund. This fund, at last advice, totalled over ±)95,000 from New Zealand alone, of which amount the Otago Daily Times and this branch- forwarded £14,731 10s Id as a r ( esult of their appeals. Arrangements are' being made for the continuance of the league's school work during the current year. The vice-president and secretary,: on behalf of tho branch, sent a congratulatory telegram .to its president, Sir James Allen, K.C.8., who replied as follows:—" Will you please accept and convey to the members of your league my grateful thanks for the kind congratulations contained in your telegram." . ■;-.■•• . The decision of tho Home Office to change the ,, name' Trafalgar Day to Nelson Day was informally ' discussed,' and then' left over for later and fuller consideration. On the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr W. F. Edmond, the following resolution was cafried in. the usual' way :— "The Otago Branch of the Navy League takes this its first opportunity, of expressing its sympathy with, the Home Office of the League on the. death of its most able, un-, tiring, and patriotic president (Robert Armstrong Yerburgh), and also records its appreciation of. the lifo-long services, within and without the. walls of Parliament, unselfishly given by him to the supreme cause of British supremacy upon the sea." The secretary was instructed to write a letter of thanks and acknowledgment to Dr P. Marshall for the valuable and willing services that had sit all time been given by him on behalf of the league. The Chairman intimated that he had been advised by a wool-grower that it was his intention to hand him (the chairman) the proceeds; of a bale of wool as a mark of his sympathy and appreciation of the work