WAIAPU R.S.A.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16389, 11 July 1927, Page 7

WAIAPU R.S.A.

A RUATORIA RALLY UNITY PRINCIPLE ENDORSED (Special to the Herald.; , RUATORIA, this day. Ex-servicemen of the Waiapu Valley gathered in force on Saturday afternooiu prior to the' football match to discuss the proposal that their organisation, the Waiapu Ex-servicemen's Association, he reconstituted as a branch of the New Zealand R.S.A. The Gishorne delegation which on the previous evening met, U. gathering at Tokomariti Bay was m attendance," and after an interesting address by Lieutenant-Colonel IT. F. Cambrill, the'meeting unanimously endorsed the principle of national unity among returned Soldiers and other members of the Empire forces. The gathering was presided over by Mr. F. V. Carpenter, who reminded those present that when the Ex-service-men's Association was formed, it. had been, decided that the work should be carried on independently, owing to the dormancy of the R-.&A. at the nearest centre, Gishorne. The recent re-organisa-tion of the national body at that centre had given plenty of evidence that returned jnen were awaking to the necessity of holding together, and in view of the altered circumstances the Tokomarn men had resolved unanimously to line up in support of the Wellington headquarters. He asked those present to consider the facts as they would be put forward by the members of the Gishorne party, and to remember that if they did not require "assistance themselves they had a duty U> others less fortunate, whose interests must be protected by a permanent organisation. y The many sound arguments in favor of keeping ~the national organisation alive were stated by Lieutenant-Oolonei Gambrill, on the general lines of his address at Tokomaru, reported in Saturday's Herald. The speaker gave some details of the. distress found to be affecting returned soldiers with large families, and tho' steps taken by the Gisbofne association to relievo the distress. He emphasised the point that Gisbornc had n<; desire to absorb the Waiapu organisation, which should have a sufficient membership to enable its affiliation with the New Zealand R.S.A. as an individual branch, hut he offered the advice and assistance of the. Gisborne executive if it should be desired, while in the event of there being an insufficient number of members to conduct an individual branch, the town organisation would be prepared to take the Waiapu men in. It was desirable, however, that the Coast men should conduct their own business, for they had their own problems to solve as distinct from those, of the larger centres. The meeting heartily supported tho decision of the Tokomaru Bay gathering, and ilt was decided that sub committees be formed at the different Coastal townships lo handle purely local matters. There was no wish to change the name of tho existing organisation, except insofar as that was necessary to meet tho rules of the Now Zealand R.S.A., the distinctive name ".Waiapu" being preserved in the title of .the new association.