NEW ZEALAND LEGION

Southland Times, Issue 22011, 10 May 1933, Page 13

NEW ZEALAND LEGION

MEETING AT GORE. FORMATION OF CENTRE. There was an attendance of about 80 at the meeting held in the Gore Town Hall last evening for the purpose of the formation of a centre of the New Zealand Legion. The Mayor (Mr A. T. Newman) occupied the chair and associated with him on the stage were Messrs W. Macalister, R. M. Strang and H. F. Drewe. Other speakers during the evening were Messrs A. Wayte (Otamita) and A. Smythe (Mataura). The Mayor briefly introduced , the visitors from Invercargill. He said it was unfortunate that the attendance was not larger, but the weather was so unpleasant that many people had been deterred from leaving their firesides.

Before dealing with the objects of the Legion, Mr Macalister stated that New Zealand had been divided into 18 divisions of which Southland was one. Until such time as the Southland division had been completely organized he had accepted the position of provisional leader and it was intended to organize the province into 20 or 30 centres. The Legion was not a party organization, he said, although it was political in the highest and best sense. There was a great deal of misapprehension concerning the Legion which had been compared with Fascism, the Nazi movement and the Ku Klux Klan. It was needless for him to state tliat the Legion had nothing in common with such movements. He proceeded to deal with the objects of the Legion and the evils and abuses of the present system of party government. Mr Drewe said that in his view the difficulties being experienced at present were due partly to the existing system of government, but more particularly to the people, and they were now faced with undoing all the harm that had been done. Money had been borrowed too freely in the past and the repayment had been left to posterity. The loans had not been repaid and further money had been borrowed to pay interest. Politicians had been elected to further the local interests of the electors. The Legion could now lead people to think about politics in a reasonable way from a national outlook. The people should now tell the younger generation that they recognized their faults in the past and were now prepared to help the Government to get the country out of its difficulties.

Mr Strang said the Legion offered people the opportunity to make a sacrifice to help the country. The highest thing which could be done was to offer citizens willing to give reasonable service a reasonable standard of living. What was necessary was an alteration in the machine and send to Parliament men untrammelled and prepared to think and act nationally. Mr Strang concluded with an anneal to those present to support the Legion. Mr Wayte said he was keen on the Legion and its aims because he wanted to give the younger generation a fair chance to overcome the difficulties of the present times and live useful lives and secure a fair return for their labours.

Mr Smythe asked his hearers to think how often they had criticized and condemned the Government of New Zealand, whatever party it was composed of. How often had they thought they were up against a brick wall and unable to do any good? They were now given an opportunity to organize and bring about reforms. A question was asked under what title candidates for Parliament would stand for election, and it was stated that the Legion would not support any party and would endeavour to eradicate party government. Mr D. L. Poppelwell asked whether there was not a danger of the Dominion organization dictating to members who would be pledged to support the Legion. Mr Macalister said that members were only pledged to support the objects of the Legion which were clearly set out. Mr Wayte moved that the meeting approve of the aims and objects of the Legion, that a centre be formed at Gore and that Mr F. Wallis, jun., be appointed convener. The motion was carried and practically all present were enrolled as members.