THE SECOND DIVISION

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 126, 28 May 1918, Page 3

THE SECOND DIVISION

BEPATRIATIOK. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, May „,. The postponement of %he decision of Cabinet in regard to the demands of the Second Division League till to-day-has given rise to various probable, improbable, and impossible rumours. One of the most improbable ie that the Minister of Defence finds .himself at variance with a majority of his colleagues in refusing to increase the separation allowance, and one of the most probable that Ministers are looking favourably upon the repatriation proposal submitted to them by the League. Though the etiquette of Cabinet rule does not permit a Minister to express publicly his dissent from a decision of a majority of his colleagues, such disagreements usually leak out, and on this occasion there is nothing but the street rumours to suggest Sir James Allen was not speaking with the full authority he assumedHOME AGAIN. But it is significant that the League'e scheme for the repatriation of the soldiers after the iva r is being discussed at a second meeting of the Cabinet today. The scheme, it is understood, provides for all payments to the men, including separation and dependents' allowances, being continued for three months after their arrival in the Dominion, whether they obtain employment earlier or not. Its acceptance wquld be a recognition of the League's very reasonable contention that at the present rates of pay and allowances only in very exceptional cases could the member of the Second Division or his wife be expected to save money towards the husband making a fresh start in civilian life. Three months' pay would be a, great help in such circumstances, and the suggestion is known te have found favour with some of Sir James Allen's colleagues. THE MAIN FUNCTION. In the course of an interview on Saturday the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, the acting leader of the Liberal party, while speaking very guardedly, of course/in view of his obligations to his colleagues, made it fairly clear that his personal inclination, was towards the most generous treatment of the men and their dependents after the war. He deprecated the uninformed criticism of the National Government, which, he said, seemed to imply the soldiers were fighting for the classes and not for the people as a whole and their existence as a nation. But he was very glad indeed to see the public taking a keen personal interest in the present and future welfare of the soldiers, and he found no fault with the Second Division League emphasising ite demands with all the force at its command. OUR DUTY. '"The burden of the war will remain with us for a generation and more," Mr. Mac Donald said this morning, in conversation with a representative of the "Star." "That is inevitable. But we have the best little country in the world, with endless undeveloped resources, and there ought to be no limit to our achievements. Those of us who have been compelled, to stay behind in this crisis must make the soldiers and their dependents our care, not merely now while the war is on, but after when peace arrives and we set about the establishment of better industrial, social and political conditions than ever we have had before. That is our sacred duty. There need be no doubt about our success in the struggle—that is assured—but posterity Is going to judge us rather by our triumphs of peace than our victories of war."