THE SECOND DIVISION

Evening Star, Issue 16409, 27 April 1917, Page 2

THE SECOND DIVISION

CLASSIFICATION SCHEME UNDER WAY. [Special to tub ‘ Star..’] WELLINGTON, April 27. classification of tho Second Division ot tho Expeditionary Force Reserve has hbbil occupying tho‘attention of the Recruiting Beam for some time past, and yesterday it was stated that definite pro* posnln arc being submitted to Cabinet for The Becond Division comprises all married men over 20 and under 46 years of ego, also widowers with children under 15 years of age. The Military Service Act contsmplatee tho separation of the members of this into groups, and ithas been assumed generally that the basts of classification will he the number of dependents supported by the ve-ec-rvist, A married man who has no children is bettor able to servo Ilia country, other things being equal, than the married man with two or three or more children ; but tlie classification is not as easily- devised as would appear at first eight. For instance, a man with one child and a weekly' salary which will cease on enlistment is in a worso position than the man who has four children and an assured income from business or property. . intention of the Recruiting Board is to make the classification on broad lines, and then leave the Military Service Boards to deal with the exceptional cases. Age os well as the number of dependents may be taken info consideration m the' group"mg of .the men. A grei;t, deal of hardship will be inevitable if the mobilisation of members of tne Second Division becomes necessary, and that fact ought to be faced by the men concerned. Tho rates of military pay will not he increased. The Beale of allowances may be amended in the direction of increasing the separation allowance payable to the wife ; but the basis of payment in all cases will be the same, and the standard will be the amount that is fair in (he case of the wage-earning classes of the community. In ether words, many wives who are accustomed to housekeeping on a family-income of from £5 to £o a week and more will have to adapt their weekly budgets to an income of from £2 to £2 iOs a week. This sorb cf tiling has happened already in tho cases of First Division men who were supporting widowed mothers, and so forth, but the nmtances have been comparatively rare. The probable date of the exhaustion of the first Division is still a subject of oiscussion iiy official circles. The available figures do not provide a basis for an exact calculation, since it is impossible to knew what proportion of the remaining members of the division are fit for active service; but there appears to be no present reason for amending the suggestion already made that tho married men will not become subject to the chances of the ballot before October, and will not bo required to enter before December or January. At a public meeting held nt Balclutha eaiiV in 1 lie week the following were elected to the executive of tho local branch ot the Second Division League :—Messrs R. R. Stewart (chairman), A. D. Gibson (secretary), \V. E. Alien (treasurer), E. Dunne,. J. Cochrane, -U Naughton, J. Peterson, and Caxon. It was decided to make a thorough canvass of the Cliitiia Comity and neighboring districts, and in order to expedite the work of enrolling members sub-branches will be formed at Stirling, Greenfield, Clydcvale, Hill End, Te Houka, Waltapeka, Waiwera, Clinton, Romahapa, Port Molyneux, Owaka, and oilier centres throughout the Gatlins district. A large number of members have already been enrolled, and tne secretary was instructed to obtau 1,000 additional enrolment forms from the Dunedin Executive. It is hoped that before the end of May every adult in the Clutha district will be enrolled *.as a member Of tho league.