Bluff R.S.A. MEETING

Southland Times, Issue 22940, 13 July 1936, Page 11

Bluff R.S.A. MEETING

A RESOLUTION OF PROTEST A general meeting of the Bluff branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association was held on Saturday evening and was well attended. The president (Mr N. W. McGorlick) presided. He had been asked to call the meeting, the chairman said, so that members could discuss a resolution forwarded by the executive of the Invercargill R.S.A. to the Prime Minister protesting against a certain Government appointment. The executive had stated that tire resolution reflected the opinion of all returned men in Southland. As the Bluff Association, for one, had not been consulted in the matter, its members felt that the resolution should not have been so worded and also that it should have been first sent to the National Executive of the R.S.A. for consideration. The question of the appropriateness or otherwise of the appointment did not arise. The speaker asked for a general discussion.

Mr P. McQuarrie said the feeling was that the resolution touched on politics. It should be remembered that the R.S.A. in its constitution was a nonpolitical as well as a non-sectarian body, and if these things were introduced it would mean dissension and lead to the disruption of the association. He considered that the Invercargill Executive had acted wrongly. This view was supported by Messrs W. Doyle, J. Forde, T. Finnerty, W. Lowe, J. Trembath, C. Giles, R. Bigwood, A. Wixon, D. McKenzie, E. White, E. Walters and others. It was decided to send copies of the following resolution to the Invercargill Executive and to the National Executive:— “That the Bluff branch of the ReI turned Soldiers’ Association emphatically condemns the action of the Invercargill R.S.A. Executive in protesting to the Government against an appointment by the latter. We wish to stress the point that this branch was not consulted in the matter- and tire Invercargill Executive, therefore, had no right to pretend to speak for all the returned men of Southland. Further, this branch, for one, has no desire to introduce politics into the business of the R.S.A.” [The appointment to which the Invercargill R.S.A. has taken exception is that of Mr P. Cody to the Southland Land Board.] ST. JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE The Bluff branch of the St. John Ambulance Brigade (of which Mrs T. Penniall is superintendent) did particularly well at an examination in first aid held recently. Dr H. Gibson, district surgeon for Invercargill district, was the examiner. All of the 14 who entered were successful. Results were as follows: Medallion, Miss Inga Wiig; advanced first aid, Mesdames W. Doyle, C. Beaton and W. Valentine and Miss Mavis Wares; first aid, Mesdames Ryan, Jamieson, B. Boberg and F. H. Pearce, and Misses Vera McKenzie, Peggy Doyle, Nancy Plank and Nancy Perkins and Mr J. Lindquist.