CORRESPONDENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 16704, 24 July 1916, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE SOLDIERS' CLUB

(To the Editor.) Sir, —My committee have instructed me to reply to the statement is&ueu by the Patriotic Committee. Un Juty lUth, 191b", we received a letter from that committee notifying us, "That un'ess the- Returned Soidiers' Club admit and recognise the control of the Patriotic Committee the Patriotic Committee will vote no further sums to the Returned Soldiers' Club." To this my committee replied by a letter of which a copy is subjoined. My committee believe ttiat this letter accurately states the position, and that very little naed be added to it. The Patriotic Committee dees not clearly set out what my committee considers the central feature of the whole situation, namely that the rules adopted by the soldiers, with one exception, were those unanimously agreed to by nine-representatives of the.. atnPotic Committee specially delegated to deal with the matter. Technically, no doubt, these representatives could not bind this Patriotic Committee, but they informed us that their committee had specially delegated them to smooth out the differences existing between their committee and the soldiers. After they had approved the rules the chairman (Mr. T. B. Williams) inform-ed v.s that we could proceed to elect our officers under those rules. Indeed it was only on the evening when the soldiers were assembled to elect their officers that we were requested by the Patriotic Committee to wait three weeks before doing any thiing further. This we did and at the last moment we received from the Patriotic Committee a new draft set of rules altogether different from the original ones and framed without any reference to us. The soldiers then unanimously decided to adhere to the original rules. From the first it was intended that the soldiers should run their own club. At the opening ceremony Mr. V.eitch said "The Returned Soldiers were to manage the club themselves and their officers were to b,e elected from amongst them. Recruiting was going to be successful in just the degree in which the returned men were treated." Mr. Kee&ing said: "The onus of making the club successful rested entitreiy on the returned soldiers. The Patriotic Committee would help them all it could and would grant any reasonable request."—(Wanganui Herald, .February 21st, 1916.) We are glad to see that the Patriotic Committee now recommend us 'to adopt the Wellington rules, which they say are approved by Captain Simson. Under the Wellington rules the Wellington Patriotic Committee has no say whatever in the management or control of the club, while from the first Captain Simson advised us against allowing the Patriotic Committee to control the club. This change of attitude towards him must be as gratifying to him as it is to us.-I—l1 —I am ,etc, J. ROWE. Sec. Returned Soldiers' Club. Wanganui, 11th July, 1916. The Secretary, Wanganui Patriotic Committee, Wanganui.—Dear Sir, — My committee direct me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter and to express their regret that your committee thought it necesa-ry to pass so drastic a vesoluion. A present,the club is being conducted undsr a. set of rules wluich were adopted under the following circumstances. Representatives of the returned soldiers met 9 representatives of your committeie, Messrs Yeitch, Maekay, Ball, Me*.ili,., Burnett, Spriggens, Williams, Col. Hughes and Major Harper. They discussed the matter at great length and finally and unanimously agreed upon a basis of settlement. Under the^ basils so agreed upon management of* the club was vested in a president, vicepresident, and three members of committee to be elected by the Returned Soldiers and three trustees, who were to be the Mayor, Town Clerk, and the Chairman of the Patriotic Committee. Rules were drawn up accordingly, and were submitted to and unanimously approved by the joint committee. j Subsequently the Patriotic Committee decided to discard the rules so agreed on and to frame an entirely fresh set, under which the whole control and property of the club were placed in the hands of the Patriotic Committee. On these proposed rules being submitted to the soldiers they declined to accept them, one i-ason being that much of the property, of the club had not come from ths Patriotic Committee, but had been donated by private benefactors. The Returned Soldiers, avlio, after all, constitute tiie membership of the club, decided after full deliberation to adhere to the rules as prepared by the joint representatives, with the exception that Mr. Fred Moore was appointed a trustee in place of the Chairman of the Patriotic Committee. It is under these rules that the club i* now being conducted. Thanks to the practical advice given by your representatives, we find that we have a good working set of rules which provide for most contingencies. We venture to say that under those rules the affa-irs of" the club are being properly and efficiently conducted. We invite your committee to visit the club at any time to see how the club is being run and to inspect our books. Indeed we are only sorry that we see so little of your committee at the club, as by meeting the soldiers we feel sure that your committee would ga:n valuable -irstliand information as to their position and needs. What your committee now asks us to do is to'make a radical alteration :n our rules. I mu&t point out that this can only be done under our rules by a meeting at which two-thirds of the members approve of the proposed al-t.M-oti'ons. Moreover, under a clause inserted at t-ho instance of your representatives the rights and powers of the trustees cannot be varied except with the written consent of th.o trustees themselves. My committee are convinced that even if they recommended such alterations the members of the club would not sanctum the prcnosal. We have therefore decided to adhere to the present constitution of the club. If your' committee as a result of our dec'Vion refuses to jrive the club t.-ny assist'.-neo we can only regret what we believe is a mistaken and unfortunate attitude. There is one matter my committee rlesic^s to make qu:t? plain. Some Vttle -H'roo bar- 1; your committee requrt^'l the sold;ers to nominate represnnt-' + :ves on your Grants Sub-commit-tee. The soldiers did my committee trip honour of eipct.'iic us to represent them find niv f-ommittpo has :<t+^ridccl several mopt:mr *. at which we Ivl'ev* 1 we hnvo boon "£ some use to your sub-commit-tee*. We do not propose to allow the iMTwnt position tn 'ntp-fore w;th *nr flntv to o'V romrpd?s and we aenrdins:----!v int^ir-l to continue to act with your Grants Subcommittee. ! You-s faitMu^v. | j. T?n-«VR. ! Sec. ■Returned Soldiers' Club