RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION FUNDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 22

RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION FUNDS.

DISPUTE WITH HEADQUARTERS. AUCKLAND, August 13. The Auckland branch*of the Returned Soldiers' Association has decided to withhold all moneys from headquarters until that body hands over unconditionally to the Auckland Provincial Committee all amounts duo to it under the deoision of the recent conference that the provincial committees shall receive for organisation purposes 2s out of the 4s capitation fee paid to headquarters by branch associations. The opinion was expressed that the action of headquarters in not fulfilling the letter oxspirit of the conference's decision was to block political propaganda. Several members spoke of cutting adrift from the New Zealand body if the present course was persisted in by headquarters. The Auokland branch membership approaches 10,000. AUOKLAND BRANCH AND HEAD- ■ QUARTERS. AUCKLAND, August 14. The general secretary of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, interviewed with reference to the reported attitude of the Auckland branch in withholding accounts due to the New Zealand Headquarters, said: " The standing subcommittee of the Dominion Executive carefuly _ considered the matter, and was of opinion that the Auckland Association's action is flagrantly unconstitutional. This action was intended to support the Auckland District Committee, which had telegraphed in strong terms questioning the motion passed by the Dominion Executive providing for opening district accounts authorised by the annual conference of the New Zealand Association. The sub-com-mittee was at, that time arranging' for the opening of accounts in Auckland and other centres, and telegraphed objection to the terms of the Auckland telegram, and stating what had been done. ■ The Auckland secretary responded that his Provincial Committee did not recognise the final authority of the Dominion Executive over the expenditure of provincial funds, and had requested all associations in the Auckland district to suspend payment to the New Zealand Headquarters. The answer of headquarters to this was to suspend the authority of the District Committee to .operate on the account opened in Auckland. Tho Auckland City Association at a meeting of members endorsed their representatives' stand, and decided to make the matter public." SECESSION OF BRANCH EXPECTED. AUCKLAND, August 15. The secession from the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association by the Auckland branch is regarded by many Auckland members as inevitable. A statement in reply to the criticisms of the National Executive was issued this morning by the Auokland Association. In explaining the attitude of the Auckland Executive, Mr F. Andrews remarked that on the occasion of the last dominion conference of the association the New Zealand Executive brought down a scheme by which headquarters would control provincial organisers and also the organising fund. A sub-committee was set up, which propounded a proposal for the existing scheme, giving provincial committees control of organisers and of funds fx>r organising work. The scheme stipulated that local associations should pay a capitation fee of 2s to headquarters and 2s to the provincial committees. The proposal was approved by a large majority of the conference, although the president of the New Zealand Association and several members of the present Dominion Executive fought very bitterly against it, declaring, when it was carried, that it would be a failure. Subsequently it was pointed out that the dual capitation fund would involve two returns from each association, and that a simpler method would be to remit the 4s to headquarters, so that the funds. could be delivered to the different provincial organisations to which they were attached. The conference agreed to this modification. Immediately after the conference the Auckland Association appointed its organiser, and went to considerable expense and trouble in mapping out the district, and in due course applied to the Dominion Executive for funds. At that time about £6OO was due. The association received no reply to its wires and letters until after the Dominion Executive had met, and then was informed that the Dominion Executive claimed control over the funds. The executive intimated that a certain amount was being placed in the bank to the credit of the Auckland provincial district, and that the executive was nominating certain members of the Provincial Committee to operate on tho fund, but that tho funds would remain the property of the executive, and it olaimed the right to stop payment at any time and place. Naturally the Auckland Provincial Committee objected to this course, as being absolutely contrary to the intention and. decision of tho conference, and regarded the attitude of the executive as an endeavour to force branches to accept the scheme it had unsuccessfully brought before the conference. Already expenses to the amount of well over £lfO had been incurred in connection Avith the organisation scheme, and a member of the association had had to ifind this money privately, as there were no funds available. In conclusion, Mr Andrews pointed out that the strongest opponents of political action had been members holding appointment under the Government, and that civil servants wero represented strongly on the Dominion Executive. QUESTION OF INTERNAL MANAGEMENT. WELLINGTON, August 16. The Executive Sub-committee of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association has considered a press statement made by Mr E. F. Andrews in explanation of the attitude of the Auckland Committee, and it expresses the opinion that Mr Andrews's statement consist* mainly of innuendoes, irrelevances, mistatements, (exaggeration, and half truths, and is intended to completely cloud the real issue, whioh is simply that Auckland has exceeded its constitutional powers by acting in a high handed and flagrantly disloyal way. As the Auckland Association thought fit to magnify a relatively small question of internal management into the dimensions of a serious dispute, and to make a disagreement public through tha columns of the press, tho Dominion Executive, in justice to it-self and to the whole of the 32,000 returned

soldiers throughout New Zealand, to' whom it owes its authority and is responsible, was forced to issue a statement of the real facts of the case and that statement stands. The Dominion Executive regrets the necessity for its utteranc% and has no need either to add to or subtract from it, and certainly does not intend to be drawn into a press controversy on a subject which will be dealt with in a constitutional manner.