R.S.A.

Timaru Herald, Issue 170307, 30 August 1920, Page 9

R.S.A.

. MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. The Executive of the local U.S.A. met uir VVeoiieaclay. Jfresent: .Messrs X>. At. inglis (presiding). Dr. I l ', 'E. A. TJlricn, A. N. 'Jakey, J<\ H. Davey, V. Drake, U. 1. T.iic, A. J'J. Jiremforci, G. H. It. Ulrieh, \\. A. Scott, and IVi. T. itoese (secretary). \ Nominations were received' I'rom four members for three vacancies on the Executive, and on a ballot being taken Alesars E. Wallace, Is. 'Wilson a-iid ,C. \V. \att. were elected.

Mr L. M. inglis was unanimously .elected president of' the Association in room of Air A. K. lthoclus (resigned), and Mt G. H. li. t'Jricli -.vas elected vice-president. One. of the. two members summoned to give an explanation of their action in disposing of chattels granted them uider the Act for returned soldiers sent a written statement, which was accepted. The pfclier member sent no explanation ond did not appear. <Jn the evidence obtained by t,he Executive the member concerned was expelled from the Association.

It was decided to recommend to the Amusement Committee that a gathering in the nature of a smoke concert bo arranged, to -which honorary members could he invite.l.

Mr Inglis presented the following report on the deputation's visit, to the A. and P. Association, — "The deputation appointed at the lastmeeting of this Committee attended the committee meeting of the A. and P. Association oh Saturday, -August 21, regarding the recent appointment of their secretary. The deputation was introduced to the meeting and invited to put the U.S.A. views, which the deputation did in the. form decided upon at the last meeting of this Committee. The objects of the deputation were expressed as being to make clear the U.S.A. policy, and thereby gain the approval of it of the meeting, and to point out where the U.S.A. principles had not Been applied in this particular case. The meaning of these principles and the reasons for their adoption v ere then given, and the failure to apply them in this case was brought cut, as The. A. and P. letter was a. general <isIndicated by the following summary: — sura nee that the U.S.A. policy regarding preferential employment had been considered by the A. and P. in appointing their secretary, but from newspaper reports of A. and P. Committee meeting o_f_.Ju'v 10, when the matter was iisfussed, two facts appeared which nullified the effect of that assurance —

I; The Finance Committee;, apparently lie only people who ■went exluHPstiyely ito the qualifications of fill applicants, :".it two names to the General Commit-

tee 'as* being equal.' The General committee then appointed the non- . eturned soldier; things wore equal, or nearly so, but preference was not given io the returned soldier. (2) The patriotic records of tbe two families luiil been .•oniparerl, and influenced ihc choice. This lhe U.iS.A. considered wrong, as the inclusion of such a factor struck at the root of their policy; which was founded solely on repatriation. "The chief point made by the A. and P. in reply was that the statements uuido at their meeting of duly TO were misrepresented by the Press. *;it all points raised in regard to the Press reports were only of a, trivial nature. The fact remains that the reporting of these statements was not questioned until i,t was shown what construction tliey "put upon the actions of the A. and P. The "Timaru Post" has taken the matter up from the Press side, and the matter is one to be cleared tip between the A. and P. and the Press. _ In the meantime all _ that is publicly known of their act-ions is from these published and previously unquestioned statements of their own. The necessity for clearing the ground in this matter did not seem to appeal to most of the A. and P. speakers. One referred to the matter as "a storm in a teacup." That point of view, of course, illustrates what the K.S.A. has to contend with. The R.S'.A. desires-that these questions or repatriation should interest everyone, and this matter, whether of large or small importance in itself, directly concerns principles that potentially effect many thousands of retu'.rned men. "To the end of the discussion it wasi evident that the U.S.A. principles and the grounds on which they were based were not clear in the minds of some,

at least, of those present. One ccntlemau said that a principle that'directed anyone to vote ill a parliamentary election for a, returned soldier whose politics be objected to as against another candidate whose politics _ he

agreed with' was an absurd principle. So it would be. "Wliat that gentleman failed to realise was the essential difference between- a parliamentary election and repatriation—and the Pu.'S.A. principle applies solely to the latter. Another speaker thought the A. and I'. wore entitled to differ from the

U.S.A. as to whether family patriotic! records should be considered or not. It there are no returned soldiers con-

cerned of course that can be consider- 1 od. But what the U.S.A. want- to make clear is that such consideration cannot he admitted, because repatriation as opposed to reward for one's own or other people's services or sacrifice is one of the fundamentals of their principle. "No. resolution of any sor-t was put to the meeting. That of . course we could hardly expect, as the A- and P. at their meeting of July 10 made all the reply thsy could to our motion of disapproval. Th e object with whit'h the deputation was sent was to explain the shortcomings of that reply. Many other questions to which it is unnecessary to refer were asked audi replied I to.

"In conclusion., we think the U.S.A. policy has been shown to "oo a reasonable and well founded one, and that the discussion has shown the R.S.A. is determined to watch, the interests of it's members. The ventilation of this matter should lielp to combat any tendency there may be to forget returned soldiers' claims for employment; and, that having been achieved, »'» think th© question might well be closed."

Ti)« report was adopted, and Messrs Inglis and Darey were thanked for tho excellent manner _ in which they had upheld the principles of the U.S.A.