RETURNED SOLDIERS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17180, 10 February 1930, Page 10

RETURNED SOLDIERS

FAREWELL TO GOVERNOR ENCOURAGING ADDRESS If there is any organisation for which His Excellency the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, has a particularly warm corner, it is the Returned Soldiers' Association, and in his farewell address to members at Wellington he expressed his linn conviction that the association to-day Has in a. thoroughly sound condition and would in the future be a growing factor ic* good in the community. His Excellency said that in the Army they were not accustomed to having then' praises sung. His recollection 01 A'j years' service was tiiat it was generally the other way. A young officer in his bait-alum who had been "tiyked off" sighed and said, "It's very hard to do the right thing." Plenty of blame came their way, but not as a rule much praise. lie did, however, appreciate lho kind things which had been said about him all over New Zealand, and ho believed I hey were said in all situ eiity. ASSOCIATION FIRMLY GROUNDED. llis Excellency said lie had always fell deep interest in their association. i.ojA.iig haciv live years he had m< ; in.msands of members of the R.S.A. .11 .m'ii /.ealaiui, and when he tirst came out mere were some ot the. branches i.iucii weie not doing too well, being inclined to diminish instead of waxinstronger. In going round the Dominion in tne last lour months he had met branches m different parts, and he was going away perfectly nappy that things ivere going really well with the associations'. {Applause.} They were to ( be congratulated on having a strong association which would go on increasing as the years went by. Returned soldiers would feel the need of it, for lie realised what a force it could be if properly organised, disciplined and led. He said disciplined because it could not be so if everyone was pulling a different way. There must be a leader, executive authority and loyalty, otherwise things would break up and become chaos. Perhaps one part of the functions he had performed was somewhat mournful, yci a nleasarw, and that had been the unveiling of war memorials in various parts of the Dominion to those to whom they had to be grateful. i iis Excellency emphasised the value of the association in the power it possessed in putting forward their claims for pensions. There were thousands who would not otherwise have got pensions, lie Knew what went on behind the scenes, and he said without fear of contradiction that there was every wish to be as generous as could bo to those who had earned pensions, but regulations were regulations, and those who dealt with public money were bound by them. If it could be shown that a man s case came within those regulations they were more than ready to recognise it. COMRADES AND BROTHERS. With regard to the future, said His Excellency, if they were organised they could be a wonderful factor for good, as they had learned the things which mattered and which did not matter. The man who did his job and did not let his comrades down was a man and a brother, and that was the ]es?on they lenrncd in

the war. Ho was glad to think tha Returned Soldiers' Association was a solid factor for good in the Dominion. They had something to be proud of. Sir Charles concluded by giving them words of encouragement for the future, advising them to stick together. Their gift he' would always regard with pride and it would remind him of the happy times be bad spent with them. He wished them good luck and expressed a thousand thanks.