SECOND DIVISION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 4, 29 September 1917, Page 10

SECOND DIVISION

DOMINION CONFERENCE

THE DEBATABLE "CLAUSE 4' Tho Dominion Conference of the Federation of Second Division Leagues was resumed yesterday. Mr. It. A. Armstrong (president) occupied the chair.

Mr. J..M'Loud (New Plymouth) moved that clause 4 of the Government Bill be re-committed, and that it. be accepted "by the conference as it stood. Ho said that he and others had been led astray as to the meaning of the second schedule of the Bill. They had accepted it at its face value, but they had certainly l>een misled, and ho assured the conference that members of Parliament had been .as much astray as they were. It was Quito right that soldiers wero being fjiven pensions by right, but their wi< ■ and children were not actually entitled to pensions by right. Ho moved that the clause (4) bo approved with the exception that ,£2, instead of M, be inserted for the wife's allowance. He assured the conference that had he known tho position ho would jio't have been so profuse in his thanks to the Ministers on Thursday, i Mr. T. C. List seconded the motion. He, also said that they had all been misled, and.it was extremely fortunate that they had discovered so vital a point before it was too late to raise a protest. ,

In order to get tho matter cleared up a small committee was appointed to interview the Ministers in regurd to the meaning of tho second schedule (which leaves the matter of giving pensions to widows, arid children to the discretion of the Pensions Board). Mr. S. Clapham raised a protest against a Bill of such moment being drafted-in such a, way/that they had to go to the Ministers tb find out what it meant. The full meaning should have been made clear in tho Bill. Financial Assistance. Mr. T. E. Proctor'asked that the conference bo given '.he opportunity of discussing the subject of financial assistance, and nientioned that tho, Defence Minister had pointed out that men were increasing their life insurance and thon asking the Financial Assistance Board to pay the piper. Mr. A. Laurence said it was provided in the regulations that the board should pay life insurance premiums and instalments on mortgages, and yet he knew of Tiia personal experience that tho board was refusing to pay instalments, and in that .attitude they were supported by the Minister. . One delegate said that the Minister of Defence had promised to arrange insurance for all members of the Second Division, and had indicated that lie was surprised that more members had not taken advantage of it. Mr. Lawrence said that it was a definite statement, and the Minister should be pinned down to it. Interpretations. Mr. R. W. Brugh, reporting ■ on behalf of a committee, said that they had been received most graciously by the Minister, who was pleased to di6cuss certain points with them. The findings were that: (1) The provision for wives and children (in the second schedule) were pensions by right ini the case, ol a soldier's incapacity to earn; (2) as to the pension of. wives and children, of soldiers sustaining any other disablement the provision was a guide for the Pensions Board; (3) 'the pensions fcr. tisabled soldiers were pensions by right; ' (4) the Minister had promised to submit to the Cabinet the proposal that the personnel of the Pensions Board should include one married and one single returned soldier,; (5) that in the case of a soldier who was oft' for a day or two the maximum wages lost should ba made up to £1, an increase,of 10s. a weok; (6) the Minister promised to alter the Act regarding cases under the first schedule to make the pensions as pensions by right; (7) the Ministers promised to make provision for the pensions for tho guardians- of motherless ehil--dren;'(B) the Minister will increase the amounts payable to widows from'los. to 155., under winch arrangement the scata would be:—Widow without child, .£2 ss. per week; widow with one child, ; E3 l!s. Gd. per week; widow with two children, M 10s per week; widow with threo cm - dren, £3 li's. 6d.,per week; widow with four children, JB4' per week. The-chairman congratulated the committee on its work. The adoption of Clause i of the Bill was moved. \ This was seconded by Mr. loogood, who said that it was dawning upon him that they must concentrate on Che personnel of the Pensions Board, a sentiment which was generally approved. The motion was carried. ;■ It was decided that tho Government boasked to insert a provision in- the Bill that pensions should be paid to men from the date of their first parade, and, in case of death, to his wife, and children. ~ A discussion took place on the manner of the appointment of additional members of the Pensions Board which would deal with the affairs of Second Division men. The opinion was that one married and one single returned soldier should be appointed to the board by tne Returned Soldiers' Association, and a motion was carried to that eitect It was also decided that the additional members to the board be appointed engine' proposals of the July conference re separation allowances were reafhrmed. The appointment of a Legislation Committee was left in the hands of the president and vice-president. What To Do? Mr. Ross (Wanganui) asked what league secretaries were to do if they did not get what they wanted. Tho discussion on this question was taken in. committee. ~ _ ~ On the motion of Mr. Creamer it was decided that the various leagues and subleagues should continue their energies with unabated energy in the future. . The conference then adjourned.