THE SECOND DIVISION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4862, 7 May 1918, Page 6

THE SECOND DIVISION.

ANOTHER CHRISTCHURCH DEVELOPMENT.

.MOTIONS BEFORE CITY COUNCIL.

Press Association Telegram

CHRISTCHURCH, May 6. At- a City Council meeting tonight, Or. D, G. Sullivan moved; “'.blurt this Council -'condemns the mean spirit displayed by the Government towards members of tlie Second Division and their children, in the .matter of allowances, and calls upon it to immediately grant the lull demands of the Second Division League, ahd the Council declares emphatically that the increase of 6d per day in children’s allowances decided on by the Government is absurdly inadequate as a solution of the problem.”

Or. Oliinie moved as an amendment: “That this Council, while condemning the resolutions! passed at a recent meeting with reference to the Second Division held at the Opera House, and while repudiating the same as being disloyal and in no way representing" the. true feelings of the citizens of Christchurch, is of opinion that the present allowances to soldiers’ dependants are in many cases quite, inadequate, and urges the Government to deal with the matter promptly in order to allay present widespread dissatisfaction.” / It wag decided, after further discussion, “That the matter be postponed till next -meeting of the Conn • cil in order not to prejudice any of the cases coming before the Court this week.”

ALLOTMENTS AND ALLOW-

ANCES

MINISTER REPLIES TO MR ARMSTRONG.

Press Association Telegram.

WELLINGTON, May 6. The following statement has been made by Sir James Allen, actingPrrnie Minister, regarding separation allowances and the Second Division League: It seems to me that many people, in criticising the present separation allowances, have quite failed to appreciate the true position. It will be agreecT by all that the present duty j of the State is to make such financial [ provision for dependents of soldiers 'as to leave them in reasonable comfort ahd as near as practicable to their civil standard of living during the soldiers absence on active service. I think it will also .be agreed by all that the present allotments and allowances, plus financial assistance, are ample to provide for the necessities of dependents while a soldier is serving with the Expeditionary Eorces In fact, hundreds of wives and children will be very much better off financially by. reason of the soldiers’ military service than ever they were while the man was .in; civil life. Many appear to have overlooked the important fact .that the very demands of the Second Division League itself concede that financial provision for the necessities of dependents while a soldier is on service is sufficient. I notjce • that the President of the League, in his. remarks a-t Gisborne as published in a Press Association telegram dated April 30, has now 'publicly admitted that this demand of the Second Division League, that the wife’s separation allowance should 1 be increased to 6s per diem is not made for the purpose of increasing her spending power to meet present necessities during her husband’s absence on active service, but in order to enable the Government to withhold the allotment of 3s per day of his pay against the day of repatriation. If, therefore, the Government agreed; to increase the wife’s separation allowance to fas per diem on the condition which the Second Division League has definitely stipulated, and thus meet the lull financial demand of the Second Division League, the wife ana children would not be a penny better off than they are now It will theiefore he seen that the Second Division League bv its very demands, agrees that the provisions made for dependents undo soldiers are on active service is sufficient to meet their reasonable acquirements, but its concern as the position in which a soldiei, as will as Ids dependents, may hud themselves on 1 repatriation after the war But is the method proposed by the Second Division League to meet the possible after-war condition nf the soldier and h'is dependents a tine solution of the problem?. I have no hesitation in saying that nt is lie itlie fair equitable, nor practicable It proposed that the State should pi ovide a nest-egg for every manieU soldier on repatriation, irirespeeti e of whether he is returning to an as snred incomow employment in civil life Whv, for instance, should the State provide a nest-egg for its veiy Pune army of the public service wlmse positions it is keeping open, and whose " superannuation conk.ibutions itis meetnrg outof the SSTiTSSU- « B oid! : So*STj-XL |\ n at once find civil employment is an Admitted difficult one, and it is now 'receiving very earliest eonsideiaGom 1 am satisfied, however, that it wi i iotbe met by a ter ant to everv married soldier of a lump sum consisting of deferred pay. . - ;