THE FAREWELL MARCH OF THE 28th BATTALION, 1915 TH.E LISTENING POST OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE R.S.S.I.L.A. (W.A.• ·BRANCH) REGISTERED AT THE G.P.O., PERTH, FOR TRANSMISSION BY POST AS A Sept~mber, 1938 NE\VSP.'\ PER. VOLUME 18 NO. 9 I The official orgen of the W .A. Branch R.S.S.I.L.A. CirCulation 9 ,000 copieo guaranteed acknow~edged aa auch, muat not necaaaarily be accepted aa stating the official viewpoint Post Comment., unleaa tains to the welfare, not only of Dig· Parliament gers' themselves, but of the country they The Diggers' continue to serve in peace as they did in war. For instance, the items under the "Conference makyth a ready l'nan."- Bacon. heading of Anzac Day and Defence re· fleet.. a great diversity o f opinion and The end of the month will see the Even in our own Branch of the League should give rise to very interesting' de· opel'ling of th~ Twenty-second Annual there have been changes since last year's bates. Nannup comes forward with the State Congress, and already metropoli· congr.ess. On the credit side, there is interesting suggestion that the League tan members are looking forward to the well-merited Birthday Honour that should form an approved soci~ty under greeting country comrades, some of was conferred upon our wortny State the National Insurance scheme. That whom we see only at this very import· president and the e levation t o Cabinet also strikes us an an item worthy of ant time of the year. As the o ld pro· rank of the popular Alex. Panton. On the special consideration, even if- congress verb has it, much water has flown under debit side, we shall miss our equally does not approve of it. The Soldiers' the bridge since last congress. Speak· worthy senior vice-president. We fear Settlers' section contains several items ad· ing internationally, this is the fourth con· that even episcopal gaiters will not cure vacating a fiXed price for wheat. Per· gress in success to be held in an atmos· us of the habit of referring to the new haps the recommendations of ""'r.ecent phere of international tension. The 19 35 Bishop of Bendigo as Tom Riley; but l'remiers' conference, which ~ave been congress was already in session when none knows better than the Bishop him· approved. by the Federal Cabinet, have Italy commenced the rape of Abyssinia. self that such reference is no irreverence. more than met the desires of the movers. Spain had begun to endure the agony of We shall greatly miss his clear incisive Gloucester P ark sponsors a motion for civil war when the 1936 congress met. reasoning during debates, just as the a death benefit scheme. There are only In the following year, congress delegates State executive will miss him for the val­ two items concerning the o ld question assembled when J apan's undeclared war ued work he performed year after year of accommodation at Anzac House; but in China was causing international corn· on the congress agenda committee. Speak· thirteen- we hope that no ill-luck will plications. This year, events have moved ing of the church militant, those who attach to the number- relating to the in such headlong confusion that one attended last year's congress will remem­ A ged Sailors and Soldiers' Fund. These would need the beard and the mantle of ber the favourable impression created by items are pleasing evidence of the interest the prophet to be able to forecast witn Padre Herbert of Kalgoorlie. He has aroused in that fund since last congress. any degree of certainty when Anzac recently been called to an English par· This year's congress will also be asked House resounds to the greetings of coun· ish; but what a tower of strength he was to approve of eight items for the better· try and metropolitap delegates within to the Leagl.)e while he was in this State. ment of the condition of Imperial ex· the short space of a 'fortnight. Intern· Death's ravening scythe has removed service men, now resident in Australia. ally,· there have also been changes, not many old friends during the year. That Our comrades in arms from overseas may all of them for the better. Those rep· gallant soldier, known to all of u s as rest assured that the p roposals made on resenting sub-branches in farming and "The Little General," will not be with ·their behalf will receive a ·very sympa· pastoral areas know only too well the us at the official opening, though his thetic hearing. distressing results of fluctuations in the portrait will look over the proceedings; world prices of primary products. T hat and a new Lord Mayor will preside over The items referred to }lave been culled knowledge is reflected in motions on the the ci vie reception to country delegates. at random, without any suggestion that agenda paper and country delegates need Fortunately, many well -known congress they are more important than others on no assurance from us that their city corn· identities are still with us, and we hope the agenda paper. Actually a ll congress rades will be behind any proposal to im· they will represent their sob-branches items are important, otherwise they . prove matters. It ·has been remarked, again this year, their heads perhaps a would not be forwarded by the- sub· rather too cynically, we think, that con· little greyer, but with their eloquence branches sponsoring them. No doubt ference is an excuse for talking instead unfettered by time or circumstance. they will be as keenly presented and as of acting. This charge ~an hardly be A glance through the agenda paper re• carefully debated as the items of fo'r· sustained when one remembers the re· veals the w ide and varied interests which mer years. In conclusion, may we add suits achieved by congresses of the past. come within the orbit of the League's our own welcome to ·the official greet· In any case, and even where the pass· activities. Some items are old friends; ings that will be showered upon country ing of a resolution does not effect the other are indicative of new needs and delegates. May s uccess attend their de· desired result, much good can be de· new trains of thought; but all are evi· libeqtions and . may their brief and enjoyable as rived from the interchange of ideas and dence of the active inter<' est tak•e n by crowded visit to Perth be a realisation of the sympathy of others. membet$ of the League m .all tha~ per- well as p~;ofitable. THE L ISTENING PosT, 23rd September, 1938 Page 4 ANZAC DA Y OBSERV­ side which should now be s~ressed in our A DIGGER RETURNS TO observance of Anzac Day. !v1any ot ANCE the sorrowing relatives are also acknow· PALESTINE The secretary of the Kondinin sub· !edging that time is softening the harsh· Jim Payne, well known in Perth who their grief, and I venture to say brai1ch writes:- ness ot is now in the office of the A ustralian that if they poke their honest conv1c· ! am directed by my sub-branch to Trade Commissioner in Egypt as assist· they would a_dmit that_a quiet re· ask you to allow us to put forward our tions, ant Commissioner, describes a recent trip views on the observance of AnUlC Day. lig1ous service held m the vanous church· to troubled Palestine. es would more adequately meet their The views of the State executive and I left Cairo at 5.30 p.m. on an excel· Bishop Riley and others, as to the approval, as against the public 'parade of of lent train which was filled with the tail· necessity of retaining the present form an Anzac Day service. end of Britishers going on leave, and in W e will admit that it was necessary of Am:ac Day, have been well aired embarking op the Oronsay for H aifa. I issues of 'The Listening Post during the first twenty years or SQ, fol-' previous arrived there at 2 p.m. on Saturday, after and other Press, and we now ask for lowmg on the war, that those sacrifices 14 hours on the Mediterranean to find consideration. · should have been stressed and the sacred· similar business there at a standstill owing to The Kondinin sub-branch is the author ness of the clay had to be impressed on the generally bad situation in Palestine. of one of the motions on the agenda for the people by making it a holy day and Curfew had been in operation for some conference, which aims at the changing not a holiday. Yet even our own gov· time, owing eo Haifa having been the of the present form of observance; and ernments have not.acccptecl it as a holy centre of a good d eal of bomb-throwing our main r..:ason for advocating the day, as in a number of the public ser· and general lawlessness. change is that the general feeling of the vices, only ex·A.I.F. members are granted ng of pride one had to public of the State, including a very leave of absence from their work to at· What a feeli se alongside with the large percentage of ex-service men, is tend a m emorial service without the loss see the Repul lying definitely swinging against the present of pay. old White Ensign floating! form.