RETURNED SERVICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25021, 15 September 1942, Page 8

RETURNED SERVICES

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE The Executive Committc- of the Dunedin Returned Services’ Association met last evening. The' president (Mr S. G. Secular) was in the chair, and others present were Messrs C. R. McLean, W. H. Thompson. J. B. Stewart, A. McHutchon, D. Forsyth, W. K. Cameron, A. Duncan,. C. G. Hedges, H. P. Jefcoate, W. E. Earnshaw, and W. F. Forrester. Merchant Seamen’s Estates The chairman referred to the efforts of the association to have the estates of merchant seamen made duty free. It had been announced in England recently that 16,000 merchant seamen had given their lives in this war. Mr D. Forsyth said that merchant seamen were doing as dangerous a job as any soldier. Mr -W. H. Thompson stated that merchant seamen were in a different category from soldiers. They were in receipt of a higher rate of pay, for Instance. He was not, however, against the granting of the privilege. The meeting decided to write to Dominion headquarters asking that pressure should be brought to bear on the Government. Service Stripes The committee decided to ask Dominion headquarters to make representations to Army Headquarters, in terms of the remit wthich was carried at the annual Dominion Council meeting, that service stripes should be issued on the return to New Zealand of men who had served overseas. Camp Concerts Messrs D. Forsyth, Adam Smith, and T, Ballantyne were appointed to represent, the association on the Camp Concerts Committee of the Otago Provincial Patriotic Council.