AN EIGHT DAY KORERO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12647, 3 June 1919, Page 5

AN EIGHT DAY KORERO.

R.B.A. CONFERENCE RUNS DOWN. (Written for the ‘‘Star.’') At eleven o’clock yesterday morning the annual korero of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association came to a conclusion after an eight days’ session. It haa to be said for the delegates that wliile they wasted many words in their deliberations, they did not make their visit to Christchurch an occasion for junketing and pleasure tripping after the manner of most conference delegates. Rather they made the session almost one of legislation by exhaustion. The longest sitting day was from 9.30 a.m. till midnight, and the conference sat through Saturday afternoon and Sunday regardless of the attractions of races, football matches and motoring. So much for the serious intention of the delegates. Any outsider who visited the conference must have been struck by the need for a simple set o? rules of debate, .and a little more rigid enforcement or parliamentary usage- The president had his good and had points. He had a Spartan way of dealing with some unpromising debaters, and of insisting on getting a seconder for any motion or amendment before ho would let the mover discuss it. The rules were neither Queensherry nor Rafferty, but a mixture of both. . The telescope went up to the Blind eye occasionally, and very often a soft answer smoothed matters out. The good temper of all the delegates was the most pleasant feature of the whole sitting, notwithstanding the trying nature of the debates, the long hours and the smoke-laden atmosphereTho personnel included colonels and privates, professional men and toilers, and whenever there was tho slightest danger of a heating tip in debate somebody would chip in with a pleasant word that set things going _ smoothly again. In the ordinary affairs of life the mere fact of Auckland and Wellington delegates agreeing amicably on any course of action would have been sufficient to raise dark suspicions in the minds of the rest of New Zealand, but the soldiers had an understanding that act provincial'differences aside, and the principal note at the conference was that there should be no splitting of tho association on personal, provincial or policy matters. The shadow of “political action” hung over the early deliberations of the conference- The opening day was a kind of Address-in-Reply debate on tho annual report, in which the delegates worked off a lot of steam, borrowing ideas from one another, slating the outgoing executive, and generally traversing tho whole problem of reconstruction, repatriation and all tho gilded train of high-sounding words that have come with the war. The president (Dr Boxer) made a few sound suggestions in the direction that secretaries should he as well paid as local associations could afford, and that a liberal support should bo given to “ Quick March,” the soldiers’ paper. Criticism, it might hare been noted, came principally from Auckland. The "first two days of the conference were consumed in a very profitable discussion of various matters, among them the important one of Anzac Day and its observance, on which a unanimous demand was made for a close holiday- The air Was not cleared, however, until the discussion on political action had been disposed of. Tile “ ayes” were principally from Auckland, where evidently stronger dissatisfaction existed with local members of Parliament than was exhibited by some of the southern delegates. Tho defeat of political action was as big a surprise for its opponents ns for its supporters, for Auckland were confident of winning, and offered a sporting “ two to one ” as they trooped out on the division. The turning down, of political action by 50 to 24 was probablv the heat thing the conference did, and it left the association in a more solid position than ever, since it committed the organisation to no disintegrating policy, but still loft individuals free to work as hard as they wished in their own party interests. It was clearly demonstrated, on the arguments, at all events, that the fact of being a returned soldier was not going to cause a man to sink his political party views on general questions. The constructive work of the conference may bo said to have included first and foremost a very seriously conceived land policy designed to give the Government an indication of how properly to deal with the difficult problem of the land-hungry soldier, and on the last day htit one of the Conference the important decision was como to that land bureaux should be established as part of the activities of every local association. Organisation was the most important domestic matter dealt with, and here jthe_ delegates decided on more direct notion by cutting the Dominion Into four big districts, which were empowered to elect district committees for the purpose of appointing paid organisers. There was a pretty general feeling among delegates that printed matter was not going to get in members of the association Or subscribers to “Quick March” half as quickly as “ the personal touch.” The next' move, therefore, will be the appointment of paid organisers for New Zealand. The basis of representation on the annual conference was debated out of all proportion to its seriousness, and the original suggestion that an association should have one vote_ for every 200 members was a positive joke, in view of the fact that it would have given th© three Auckland delegates the unwieldy voting strength of 40 votes. Publicity was given to an alleged hint that Auckland would break away from the association if voting strength in full measure was ■ not granted to that association, and it i may bo said that at all events Auckland were rather fond of cracking the membership whip, although they promised loyal and_ sincere support to the association in the final decisions. A definite repatriation policy was orought down, and tli© pensions recommendations were very illuminating. On many matters the delegates were able merely to make their opinions known, and zesolutions were come to on all manner of subjects, such as the health and housing of the establishment of limb factories and soldiers’ clubs, on which a policy was laid down that they should be repatriative. Generally speaking, tho conference got through much useful work, but in coming years much less time should be and tho conference should get out of door’s oftener, and have shorter, and more concentrated sitting hours - Tlie brain fag that came with lata sittings can .sod some impossible ■situations, notably when delegates moved and seconded amendments to clauses of committees' reports which were mere explanatory statements of fact. The creation of district committees should give an opportunity for clarifying and consolidating the annual reniita“ and the result should be a shorter and more useful session. The conference may be snid to have hardened Up the association generally, and there will probably be big membership campaigns in the coming year, as him _ organisation has arrived " at ’the testing time of its usefulness and a successful year’s work will silence tho cry for political action.