NEW ZEALAND LEGION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22063, 20 September 1933, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND LEGION

MEETING OF OTAGO BRANCH A meeting of the local branch of the New Zealand Legion was held in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall last ,night. Mr H. L. Paterson occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance, of members. The chairman explained that the meeting was being held for the purpose of presenting a progress report by the executive of the work that was being done by the legion in Otago. The report stated, inter alia:— It is six months since the Otago Executive was set up, and during this time very considerable progress has been made. Otago is one of the 21 divisions of New Zealand. The local membership is at present in excess of 2000, but there are certainly many hundreds of members whose cards have not been returned, and who are, therefore, not included in this total. For six months the executive has met at least once a week, while frequent special executive and sub-committee metings have, of course, been necessary. Sub-committees were set up to deal with membership, publicity, organisation, trans port, and finance, and from time to time to consider other special questions. The work of the executive has also included the arranging and addressing of meetings throughout the district. In Dunedin the work of setting up local committees in the various districts has been going ahead, and there are already eight committees formed, while five more have yet to be set up. The report enumerated the number of country towns at which meetings had been held, and continued: The work in Otago has been carried on with a view to calling together, at an early date, the Otago Council, with delegates from every district. The willing support of a number of men, both members and non-members, has been obtained to assist in research work. Circles have for several months been keenly studying questions of interest and importance, and they report that they are making definite progress. Dr C. B. Hercus is the chairman of the committee studying systems of local body government in New Zealand. A circle is studying economics, currency and finance, under the leadership of Dr A. G. B, Fisher, and Dr Roland Fulton is chairman of a committee discussing matters of hospitable and charitable aid and social services. Further groups are being organised to study questions of education, unemployment and central government, and already a number of men have agreed to take part in each of these. In order to keep members more closely in touch with headquarters, a fortnightly journal, National Opinion, is now issued. The financial position is difficult, and further support trom members is essential. The . only income is from the annual subscription of Is and donations. In conclusion your executive wishes to stress the urgent need for reform in central and local body government, and the desirability of creating in the minds of the general public a spirit of helpful co-operation in the study and solution of political problems affecting the present and future welfare ot our country. The legion must serve this purpose, and it is the bounden. duty of every member to assist actively in its ac complishment. , , „ The chairman said that the legion was not dead —it was not dead in those who were working. They had men busy men —in the city taking up the story of loral body government. Mr G. A. Lewm had assured him that if he had not had to go Home he would have esteemed it a privilege to act on the executive for the sake of the future of the Dominion. (Applause.) Mr Lewin had proved a great source of strength to them, and other citizens were also helping. The cost of local body government in the Dominion exceeded the cost of almost any local body government in any other part of the world, and the legion was out to do something to bring about a better state of affairs. The speaker explained what had been done in Otago and what was to be d °Mr P. 0, Smellie, a member of the Economic Committee, presented a report prepared by Mr R. G. Burgess, the convener of. the committee. The committee, he said, was at present studying the stability of price levels. A good deal of time had so far been spent in studying the historical background of thG subject, llie committee’s object was mostly educational, and to try to make people think for themselves. The main theme ot their inquiry was that if they were to have a more satisfactory state of affairs tiny had to get rid of the up and down flow of the price levels which had obtained in the past. The committee hoped to place something useful before them in due course. , , An interesting address was then given by Dr Hercus. It appears in this issue under a separate heading. ...... Mr W. R. Brugh said that the fact that the legion had come into existence went to show that there must be some justification for such a body. He remarked that Dr Hercus had given them a wonderful resume of the early history of New Zealand.