RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1624, 29 April 1919, Page 2

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

' ANNUAL MEETING. I The annual meeting of the Christchurch Beturned Soldiers' Association was held last evening in the King's Theatre. The president (Mr N. B. McCallum) was in the chair. The president moved the ndoption of the annual report and balance-sheet, particulars of which have been published. Mr A. an honorary member, protested against there being no mention amongst the assets of properties purchased by the association for the purposes of a club room site. 'Mr 0. T. J. Alpers, chairman of the Building Fund, said that two properties had been purchased in Gloucester Street. One of these had cost £I7OO, and the other £4OOO. These had not been handed over yet to the club, and therefore had not been included amongst the assets. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr N. B. McCallum; hon. treasurer, Mr V. M. Edgar; executive committee, Messrs J. Coe, J. Pcthcrick, E. L. Cheeseman, E. Orchard, Campbell, E: Hudson, Lloyd, N. 11. Proctor, H. J. Knight, and the Eev. W. Walker.

Several alterations to the rules were decided upon. One of these was to enlarge the membership qualification so as to include the veterans of other wars. It was to the effect that a person was eligible for membership who had served in any war with his Majesty's Forces, provided he had been honourably (discharged and had left the country of his enlistment for active service. Another alteration was that a member of the committee of the association might call upon anyone wearing the badge of the ssociation to furnish evidence of his authority to do so. Messrs Taylor, Barrell, Jones, and Chappie were elected to a "Limbless Men's Committee," to represent those who had lost limbs in dealing with the Government, etc. It was decided that soldiers in the Orthopaedic Ward at the Christchurch Hospital should elect two other members. Mr J. Petherick moved a resolution protesting against the practice of closing hotels on the arrival of a troopship with returned soldiers. He stated that those returning now were not wounded men.—The motion was carried. Mr Campbell moved: —"That the association protest against any soldier being discharged from the Expeditionary Forces unless he had previously been found employment by the Repatriation Board." The president stated that the Repatriation Board paid a single man 40/- a week as sustenance, and 50/- for a married man. Mr W. E. Leadley stated that the association's representatives on the board had protested against the amount of sustenance allowed. The motion was lost. On Mr E. Hudson's motion it was decided to request that further representation be given to the association on. the Repatriation Board. It was decided to recommend the Government to declare Anzac Day a statutory holiday.