RETURNED SOLDIERS

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16505, 5 August 1919, Page 5

RETURNED SOLDIERS

MEETING OF ASSOCIATION. Ver Press Association, WELLINGTON, August 4. Tho. quarterly meeting of the Domin- , ion executive of the New Zealand Ro- .! turned Soldiers’ Association was held , during the week-end. The board of management of the. Quick March presented a report which i was regarded as very satisfactory. The chairman (.Mr. Harper) also announced tho resignation of Mr. L. S. Fanning, associate editor, as from September. A , resolution was carried expressing ap- . I predation of Mr. Fanning's services and I regretting that circumstances _ had arisen which in Mr. Fanning’s opinion made it advisable for him to resign his i position. The following affiliations of new associations were approved: Wainku, "Woodi-ille and district, 'Waipawa, Lc- • vin, To Awamutn, IVhakatane county, ■ Wnihi and Opotiki county, i The president stated that MajorGeneral Russell had agreed to the rc- ■ quest that he should, on tho assoeia- ■ tion’s behalf, inspect the soldiers’ settle- • ments in and around his district. The i announcement was cordially received, and, at the general’s suggestion, an order of reference was prepared for his ■ guidance. ; Following the request of tho Minister of Defence when answering representa- ; fives of the executive on _ Saturday, a > detailed 1 list of tho association’s require- , ments arising under tho principle of retrospection was arranged and ordered i to be forwarded to Sir James Allen. ; 'lt was resolved to ask the Governi ment to make arrangements to exempt , returned' soldiers from fines in ccn- ; ncction with the stamp duty on land and arising out of the delay for which the. soldier was not responsible. A letter from the Hawera Association > suggesting that life members should bo ; admitted on the payment of a. subscripi lion of £5 was referred to* the next ; conference. A discussion arose on the present f notion of the Defence Department in rer mitting fines imposed on soldiers on . active service. Strong exception was J taken by the executive to the extreme ■ leniency displayed in remitting the severe fines imposed as a result of imprisonment with hard labour, thus condoning the offences and making men eligible for admission into the Returned Soldiers’ Association by virtue of the 1 fact of such remissions which cleared • their characters. It was resolved that I the Minister’s attention bo drawn to the fart that men were receiving largo remissions of fines, and that theas- ; sociation recommended that regulations j ho tightened up considerably. I It was resolved that tho Railway Department bo asked to make immediate provision for tho carriage of building material and stock to soldiers’ settle-, ments. It was decided that the executive, subject to the general principles involved. and to notifications to local associations of its views and full reasons therefor, may modify the conclusions reached by the conference if in its opinion such modifications aro vitally and -immediately necessary in view of new ‘Conditions having arisen.