OAMARU R.S.A

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25625, 28 August 1944, Page 7

OAMARU R.S.A

QUARTERLY MEETING There were about 100 members present at the quarterly meeting of the Oamaru Returned Services’ Association on Saturday night. Mr E. Cameron (president) was in the chair. Mr N. H. Colquhoun submitted a report on tire business transacted at the annual conference in Wellington, dealing with such matters as rehabilitation, pensions, land, and defence. Mr Colquhoun said the - conference expressed the hope that there would be one organisation to express the views of all returned men from all wars. The administration of pensions was criticised as not being in accordance with; the spirit of the Act, it being contended that the Act was being sidestepped on the question of onus of proof. The conference also recommended that the acquisition of land or shares in companies by enemy aliens be prohibited, and that military defaulters should be debarred from employment in Government departments or institutions controlled by the Government and deprived of civil rights for 10 years. Mr A. C. Piper, the second delegate to the conference, reported on the remits carried, and stated that a special badge would be issued to such members who had been awarded the R.S.A. certificate, the remit that the certificates should be issued without an undertaking not to engage actively in the work of the association, being carried. Messrs H. C.. Jeffery and R. E. Dimick, holders of the certificate, would receive special badges, and application had been made to Wellington for a certificate for Mr J. E. McNulty. A vote of thanks to the delegates was proposed by Mr Johnson Mayfield and carried.

After the meeting a social hour was spent. A welcome home was given to about 30 returned servicemen. A short toast list, was honoured, and items were given by Messrs Zeigler, W. Burdett, Harrington, and J. Macmillan. A special tribute was paid to the Maori Battalion and the New Zealand Division ss the spearhead of the famous Eighth Army.