PATRIOTIC WORK

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21034, 9 February 1940, Page 7

PATRIOTIC WORK

TE AWAMUTU ACTIVITIES STORMY COMMITTEE MEETING (Special to Times) TE AWAMUTU, Thursday. Allegations of “swamping the meeting,” dictatorship, and unconstitutional procedure were made when heated discussion between two distinct factions occurred at a meeting of the Te Awamutu Patriotic Committee last night. The Mayor, Mr G. Spinley, presided. When the question of adding members to the general committee was raised, the chairman suggested that, as there were many present who had been unable to attend the first meeting when the committee was formed, those who wished to become members be elected forthwith. There was considerable opposition on the part of one section of the meeting to this course, on the ground that the meeting had been called for the specific purpose of electing an executive by the general committee and that the matter of adding to the committee was out of order. The chairman ruled that it was in order, whereupon some of the committee members retired. The chairman eventually took a motion that nominations for additional members be taken, and this was carried by a majority vote, the voting being confined to those who were already members. It was decided that all those present who were not already members be elected. Fourteen nominations were rei ceived for the executive of seven, j and the poll resulted in the election j of Messrs A. R. Hill, J. Oliphant, M. Barnett, B. Malone, L. S. Armstrong, W. G. Neill and B. Irwin, with Messrs Spinley and Macky as ex officio members. Reading Matter for Achilles The chairman said that letters from the men on the Achilles stated that there was a need for reading matter, and, at his suggestion, it was decided to have a book and magazine drive, and forward the parcels to the : Naval Base at Devcnport for trans- | mission to the ship. I Mr H. T. Haselden advised that ; the Returned Soldiers’ Association ! had arranged to have tin containers ot parcels for soldiers soldered so as j to make them air and water tight. ; In the unavoidable absence of the secretary. Mr K. S. Kelly, Mr J. L. | Callaghan placed before the meeting a statement of receipts and expenditure in connection with the public farewell to the men of the First Echelon. The statement showed that | the function was a financial success , The question arose as to the disposal ■ of the surplus in view of the regula--1 tions. but after some discussion, in j which objection was made to the j regulation that all moneys raised for i patriotic purposes had to be sent to j Auckland, it was decided to leave ! the matter in the hands of the exe- ‘ cutive.