SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL CLUB

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 37

SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL CLUB

PROPOSAL TO RAISE £20,000 AGREED TO. INFLUENTIAL COMMITTEE SET UP. A public meeting was. held, in tho Town Hall on the 28th for the purpose of considering whether the support-of the citizens should be given to the proposal brought forward by tho Returned Soldiers' Association that an effort should be made by the people of Otago to raise £20,000, to enable a soldiers' memorial club house to be erected in Dunedin. There were about 70 or 80 people present, including a sprinkling of returned soldiers. The Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark) presided. The Mayor said they had met to discuss the question of arranging for a suitable home for the returned soldiers, and if considered advisable to assist in the movement. It was quite impossible until the plans were prepared to say accurately what the cost would be, but he felt safe in saying that the total outlay on tho building would be between £BOOO and £IO,OOO. The balance of the money, it was suggested, would go to form a permanent endowment fund, the interest of which would be used to make up any deficiency that might occur in working of the club. If they decided to carry on the movement everyone must be prepared to organise and to sacrifice himself and herself in tho work. They must understand, however, that none of the promoters of the movement desired to disparage the very fine work that was already being done by the very fine patriotic societies in Dunedin and Otago. Everybody recognised that these societies were doing splendid work for the Empire and for our soldiers, and the proposed club was suggested in no spirit of antagonism.—Applause.) /Mr L. Hanan (organising secretary of the Returned Soldiers' Association's Memorial Club movement) said it was very gratifying to the members of their association to know that their appeal was supported wholeheartedly by the people of Otago. They were not going to allow their ardour to be damped by a few dissenting voices. They intended to go forward in the movement, despite that opposition, believing that theirs was a sound and reasonable project to put before the public. If any argument were neoessary to support their appeal it was that Dunedin was the last city in the dominion to establish a returned soldiers' club. It was the people's duty to establish the- club—it was their duty to try to keep the men together. As they .knew they had decided to pay £4IOO for Gladstone House, the property of Mr W. Adams, and had already paid £l5O as a deposit. They also expected to pay an aroMtect's fee of £IOO, bo that the amount of liability already incurred was £250. "Whether that site was suitable in every way was a matter they were prepared to leave to the committee that would be set up that night. The soldiers were quite willing to have an advisory board of, say, three pr four citizens to represent the publio of Otago and the same number of Returned soldiers. . Mr H. W. Mitchell said he considered the best course would be to purchase a larpte section of ground, say, near Knov College, and erect on it large rooms and also lay out recreation grounds. He considered it was a very foolish thing to pay over £l5O before getting the views of the public. The Mayor pointed out that the olub was not for wounded soldiers at "all—it was for tho returned men. It was not possible for them in the meantime to confiider the question of providing a home for wounded men. If such a position occurred later on, they would have to face the question, and provido one. Mr J. J. Marlow said he desired to propose—" That this meeting approve of the principle of raising £20.000 to establish a returned soldiers' memorial olub." The motion committed them to no scheme, and laid down no details. If they were prepared to accept that motion, ho would then movo another motion appointing an executive. If tho £l5O or £250 had been wisely spent they could take advantage of it; if it had not been they could commence over again. The question before them that night was whether they were prepared to approve of the echeme. They were glad to

get such criticism as had been given them by the Otago Daily Times—glad to get any criticism—because it made them look at tha proposal from every 6ide. Now was the time to examine the question. After very carefully perusing tho letters in the paperf —after perusing tho editorial in the OtagO Daily limes —he was more than satisfied that it was desirable that they should erect a memorial club. There was hardly a ship that had come here in the early days of which the passengers and their had not formed themselves 'into bodies to meet and renew old associations. Ha wanted to know what men could hare a greater bond of sympathy than their returned soldiers. The very, nature of the calling of the men they had sent away was . very unsettling, and on their return tha difficulty would be to get them to settle down in after life. He believed the club would help that. He believed it would be a great inducement to help them to recognise all that they had done —the par* they had played in maintaining the Empire, and that it would help them to play their part in maintaining the civil life. He was not there to preach, but they all knew that young fel- | lows knocked about' and were led astray, Tho club lifo would counteract that. Jt i would be the means of forming ail espri*' do corps amongst them, and if tho club wag the means of preventing only a very small percentage of theso men from going astrajl 1 they could say that Dunediii bad dono one of the very best things m seeing that this money was subscribed. It would bo a disgrace to the citizens of Dunedin if the firsti thing these men asked should ba turned down. If they meant what they said when they sent the men away they bad a-right to give them thair oluib. If he had any Knowledge, if he had any judgment, of tha people of Otago, he would eay there was | no doubt about the movement being a | success. His own opinion was that the soldiers wero entitled to a club. Nobodyi had done more for them than these men 1 had. He ventured to say that there was not 5 per oent. who were not members of I some kind of club; then why should not tha soldiers have a olub? _ Dunedin did no* want to lag behind in this matter. — (Applause.) Mr C E. Statham, M.P., seconded the motion. He considered the club should be u> a very central situation, and the proposed sito was a very suitable one from this pointt I of view. There was the question whether it was wise to buy an old building, or whether. 11 it was better to start and build a-new place. Ho asked where wero they going to get' such a suitable site? As to the third question, the public would require to be satisfied of the continuity or tho memorial.'. There was the question as to what was going to become of the olub when the returned soldiers had left this planet for. another place. It could be set apart tor tha : sons of the soldiers, and then after, say, 50' years or so, it could bo left to the city for some specific purpose. —(Applause.) ' Mr 8. Solomon, K. 0., Baid the question before the meeting was whether they were going to say they would assist the soldiers | to get a clulb or not. The questions raised - in the papers referred to details. When tha : war started they had asked these- men to go and fight for the. Empire. "What did .: they say," asked the speaker, " yes or no?" They said " yes," and wont. They did notf wait for any details to be considered." The soldiers considered it would bo to their § benefit to have a club, and they should endeavour to assist them. Ho said let them take their place in the commercial part of the world, but let them remain soldiers for | all time. They might not be able to get enough money to justify them in going on with the scheme. They must then be pre- j pared to say to the people what was going | to happen to the money. The people had a right to know that. As regards what was I going- to happen if the club did not remain, a club for all time, he was largely in. accord with the views put forward by "Mr Statham. H 4 asked what was all the talk about the money being lost. Of the £2O,OOCj required, £10,009 was to be set aside to run the club. If the club went to pieces tha £IO,OOO would be there just the same, ana surely they could get £SOOO for the club, so that only £SOOO would be lost If the whole thing w;i? a failure. —(" Hear, hear."^ Mr M. Bradley said that when tha | war broke out, Socialist though he_ was, he sank every idea and put his every energy into helping young men to enlist "and defend the Empire. He told them they would do their best for their dependents, and here they were tho first time the soldiers came to > them with a request to do something for them advocating a go-slow policy. When | the miners went on a go-slow policy some . people advocated that they should be flogged and made go quick.—(Laughter.) It simplymeant that the hundreds and thousand* of men who could not go to the front would be required to subscribe about £1 each. Mr John Downic sftid he had four sons at the front, but at the same time he considered the proposal was a complete waste of money. He did not doubt they could get £20,000, but he considered they could have got the required land for nothing: in the heart of the city. The Mayor said the committee would go g seriously into the whole question, and if" it meant sacrificing £l5O to get something better the committee ovould oe quite prepared to do it. Mr Marlow's motion was carried unanimously. y y Mr Marlow then moved —" That this meeting form itself into a committee as a whole, and that the following executive be appointed:—Messrs J. J. Clark, J. J. .. Marlow, It. Conn, C. B. Smith, H. Harris, E. Falconer, 0- E. Statham, MP., S. Solomon, K.C., M. J. White (returned soldier), E. L. Macassey, E. C. Reynolds, son, with power to add to their number, and to act In conjunction with the committee of returned soldiers." The motion was carried. The Mayor said the committee would «o j into the matters that had been brought before the meeting. The really difficult 1 point was the continuity of the club, but) that could be dealt with if the oitizens provided the money. It would pe only a reasonable provision that when the club house had fulfilled tho purpose for whiohl it had been erected it could revert to the citizens. In answer to a question, Mr Hanan said his association was quite willing, and in fact it desired, to have advisory board of citizens in connection with the management of the club. The Mayor stated that a very strong committee of'ladies had promised to assist in every Way.