WAIMATE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19640, 7 November 1933, Page 3

WAIMATE

RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Waimate Returned Soldiers’ Association was held on Friday. Present.—Messrs A. Williams (in the chair), A. Cameron, A. Hawke, A. E. Lewis, S. J. Bennington, J. A. Lash, A. M. O’Brien, d’A. S. Grut, J. G. Menzies, G. H. O. Barclay, M J. Friel, J McKenzie, Grant and L. V. Brenton (secretary). The Waimate branch of the South Canterbury Patriotic War Relief Society wrote forwarding £l3 and £2l as the October and November shares of the branch on a monthly allotment of the Society’s Funds towards assisting the various unemployment schemes and the share of the branch of the National War Fund grants. A circular from the New Zealand Association outlined the order of service for the burial of returned soldires, and quoted an oration for delivery from the president. Inter alia, the oration stated: “From the ranks of the deathless army He calles us to deliver ourselves afresh to the unfinished task of peace, lest their sacrifice be in vain. We must keep faith with them, for men betrayed are mighty ,and great are the wrongfully uead; and only so shall we be able to answer the last muster without fear and without shame.”

The president said that he thought the ceremony had been rather overdone. Mr Barclay said he thought that the military funerals given in Waimate were far ahead. He did not consider that they should make any addition, especially as the suggested service seemed of a semi-lodge type. Mr Grut said he had been impressed by the oration, and he moved that it be adopted. Mr O’Brien seconded the motion, which was carried without dissent. Mr Lash: It must be optional for the relatives. Mr Menzies: It would have to be arranged with the minister and relatives. It was decided that if a military funeral was asked for, the oration should be included in the service. Mr Menzies suggested the duty of giving the oration should lie with the president or vice-president, and this was confimed. Unemployed Men. The president said that a sore point with him in regard to the Association’s unemployment scheme was men receiving, but not carrying out, work. One man had just done his work, and another was still owing a half-day from last year. Mi* Menzies said the employer who had not received the work should be kept faith with, and it was decided that the man concerned be written to informing him that he would be unable to get any more work unless he paid in 5/-, the amount for half a day’s work, over and above his subscription. On the motion of Mr Lash it was decided to make sufficient money available to provide Christmas hampers for all the unemployed returned men, the hampers to be similar to those given last year. A sub-com-mittee comprising Messrs Lewis, Cameron, Menzies and Lash and the secretary was appointed to arrange for their distribution. A further sum of £5 was voted to balance the payment granted to provide work for unemployed returned men. The secretary reported that the amount thus spent was £194/18/6 which carried a subsidy of £125, making a total of £319/18/6 distributed. Mr Lash reported on the annual meeting of the South Canterbury War Relief Society, at which a recommendation has been passed to support the Bill to make provision for those men who could not prove disability for a war pension. Another recommendation had been carried that the management committee make available up to £I,OOO in the current year for general unemployment. The speaker and Mr Grut had opposed the recommendation unavailingly, but they hoped to scop the vote of the money at the management committee. At the present rate of expenditure the life of the South Canterbury Society would be three years, and it was their contention that the cutting out of the £I,OOO vote for fit men would make the funds last another two or three years. Mr Grut said that the position was that in two and a half to three years time there would be no funds to help the broken-down returned men in South Canterbury who could not obtain a pension, and the society could not hope for Government assistance if it was merely going to give extra relief to returned men. The president said he thought that the Society’s money should be for unfit men. He added he thought the Association should support the action of the delegates to the Society’s meeting Mr Lash was thanked for his report, and the action of the local committee of the Society was fully endorsed. General. The president was reappointed hospital visitor for the current month. The secretary reported that the membership to date was 125. The president said that about 90 were unfinancial, and an effort should be made to gather in subscriptions. DEPARTING POSTMASTER. On Friday evening practically the whole of the staff of the Waimate Post Office met to say farewell to the postmaster, Mr G. W. Brown who leaves to-morrow on promotion to Marton. Mr E. E. Earnshaw, supervisor, in asking Mr Brown to accept a suitcase and paper knife as a reminder f his association with the Waimate office, congratulated him on being selected to fill the important position of postmaster at Marton, and expressed a hope that Mr Brown would fill yet more important posts. Mr R. A. Symons, senior clerk paid a tribute to the thorough knowledge of Departmental affairs which Mr Brown possessed. Messrs W. Hetrick and H. Vincern (line staff), P. J. Plickey and C. S. Batchelor (clerical staff) and A. Williams (exchange) endorsed the cemarks of the previous speakers, and regretted that Mr Brown’s association with Waimate was being broken. Mi* Brown in thanking the officers for their remarks, said he appeciated very much the sentiment behind the gift. While he was pleased that promotion had come his way, he regretted keenly that it meant the terminatian of 32 years of service spent almost exclusively in Otago and South Canterbury. PROPOSED CATHOLIC CLUB. A meeting of delegates was held on Sunday night to consider the formation of a united Waimate Catholic Club. Th project was outlined by Mr N. L. Knell, president of the Debating Society and the Dramatic Club, who submitted proposed rules on the lines of those of the Timaru Club, and

pointed out that the United club would be particularly valuable in view of the next Easter tournament of the Federated Clubs of New Zealand being held in Waimate. The project was unanimously approved, and it was left to the delegates to discuss the proposed rules with their respective clubs and to report back to a further meeting in three weeks’ time. The Waimate branch office of the ’Herald" Is situated in High Street, the telephone number being 188. Our representative at the branch Is Mr J Sherwin, to whom payment of accounts may be made, and all inquiries relating to advertising, printing, or papers referred.