THE SECOND DIVISION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16220, 24 May 1918, Page 6

THE SECOND DIVISION.

DOMINION CONFERENCE. (TRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON. May I' 3. At the conference of the Second Division League, the committee appointed to draw up a report on the repatriation problem recommended that che Government should adopt the principle of extending State responsibility to all soldiers and their dependants from the time of dise/iarge, or demobilisation, until lull rennouitation in civil lie; such State responsibility to take c-lie form of the continuancc of pay, allowances, and financial assistance paid to the soldier and his dependants during active service the minimum period of responsibility to bo not loss than three months, and to be extended, where necessary, on the recommendation of special local boards to be set. up under a Department of .Repatriation. The contei'once adopted the following resolutions: —•'That tlio practice of allowing employers to appeal for the exemption of their employees bo discontinued" : "that any reservist of German parentage who appeals for exemption on the ground of German sympathies nnd is granted such exemption, should be interned or put to some work of national importance on military pay"; ''that in view of the altered conditions of the war, the Government be urged

to organise all fit retired men, in order to release fit men of military ago for i service": "that all Cl men bo given one month after their medical examination to make any temporary domestic and business arrangements before being ordered to parade lor the physical J;raiping camp" ; '"that tho reservist be given one month's testing in the physical training camp to test his fitness, and if ho is proved to b e unfit, ho be p-iven liis discharge at once" ; "that if the Cl reservist bo proved medically fit after tho try-out, lie be given two months' leave of absence, so that ho may return to his homo and make final arrangements for his dependants and for disposing of liis business, preparatory t-o his going into the reinforcements." DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, May 23. .Replying to a deputation of the Second Division League to-day, 'the Ministor of Defence, referring to the proposal for an extra separation allowance f or the wife, said it would be hotter to use the money for repatriation purposes later. He held out no hope that the oxtra separation allowance for the wife would bo granted. All financo questions will be referred to Cabinet, which will meet as soon as possible. "A HOUSE DIVIDED." (SPECIAL TO "TUB I'UKSS.") WELLINGTON, May 23. When tho conference decided yesterday thai a deputation was to go to-day to Sir James Allen and the other Ministers, an unofficial delegation weiit to have a talk with the Minister and learn from him what ho would jay in replyto tho demand for six shillings a day I for tho wife. He gave the delegation pretty clearly to understand that to would say "iVo," and this was no doubt reported to the heads of the League. Then it was that tho eommitteo set to work to draft proposals for certain repatriation measures to be adi vocated by the League. Thoro is no I doubt at all —although this is sure to ibo denied considerably—that the intenI tion was that these repatriation pro- ! posals were to be instead of the i shillings demand. An attempt was

made to get these proposals approved by the conferonee before tli© deputation went to interview Ministers this morning, but some of the members of the conference who are not quite "in the swim," raised a question about tho schemes, and in tho limited time available their onposition served to hold them up. The heads of the League understand quite well that tho six shillings idea would have to be dropped, but the rank and file of members, even at the .conference, were not under their control. In this situation there are the elements of a runturo in the Leaeiie. Tho chances are. however, that Mr Armstrong, an extremely able and astuto chairman, will be ablo to get over J :he few days until the conference ends. As the days pass member after member has to leave for home, and if'the nicetini gees on much longer, the chairman wiU be left with a much smaller gathering. There is to be n conference of "C----tit mod soldiers at Auckland during next week, and that conference will devote little attention to the Second Division League. The returned soldiers will attack tho Leucine, and they expect to have the support of the public in their attack.