The North Otago Times WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 1917. SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE CONFERENCE.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13935, 18 July 1917, Page 4

The North Otago Times WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 1917. SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE CONFERENCE.

One of the mo,st important conferences .-ever held in ,\Vw Zealand will open to-da.v in "\Velli!ii,'tcii, pud representatives of tin '.lun of the Second Division of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force Reserve, from all parts of New Zealand, ' will assemble, to discuss the probabilities of active military .serviceaiid the provision of adequate maintenance for the dependants of the men called up. As has been pointed out on several occasions, the,principal object of the .Second Division

League is to endeavour to secure adequate pay, pensions and allowances for all soldiers and their dependants. The members of the League do not hope to harass and embarass the [Government or influence Parliament in ilic - -matter of maintaining the present quota of reinforcements. The Second Division would not accept the grave I'e'sponsibility of deciding .such.)a momentous-guestiom if they were, asked. The .purpose of the League is., to make/CVery legitimate effort to ensure that the Government does not ciieate embarrassing and harassing circumstances for the dependants of soldiers. The League is lion-political—it accepts for membership'; all British subject?-" over the age! of twenty-one yeai'<y regardless Of.])arty„creed, or class, while the members are satisfied to leave the decision as to whether: the Second..' Division should, or!

should not be called up, to the wisdom of our! legislators. "We havebefore us a;,'copy of the remits which will be submitted to the conference and'we are pleased, to say. ' tliat there is.not a single remit conveying tlig 'slightest suggestion which could be construed into'an attempt to. influence; Parliament in coming to a decisipn in the matter of future -reinforcements/ The men of the Second Division haw intelligently -sensed- the grave financial and economic danger . which threatens,, should the government denude this country of all physically fit: single' and married men of military age, but they law-abiding r ; eitizens and are prepared to show obedience to thr . Jaws of the.-land. From the remits ,tb be submitted for consideration

it is quite dear that the men of t-];«-' Second Division ask no specially for themselves. A]l** the energies .of. the League are; boijig- t coiioentratcd upon the diiiiiand for more' adequate jirovifejoiis foi their'depe'n'-' dants, and-We arej stiroftlie - community! Mill (indorse the action, of.the Second ;Dirisioii men in eombining to make the very best provisions fou -their dependants -thai country can afford. Various ten-, tative scales; of .pay and pensions' have been drawn up by the differ' cut brandies of the. League throughout Xew Zealand, and iy>s. confidently anticipated tliat' very much more-generous provisions will bc nii]dci . For the married men, military service many serious 'phases. In addition; to the. question of ,pay and peiisions, the Second Division League, Will makel)ig effort to convince the Goyeriiiii'fciit tluit fill 'sljould become soldiers the i moment they leave their homes fo 1 '

'camp, and be entitled, should he break down in camp, to. all the privileges and .allowances granted Hie soldier who falls on ■llic'battlefield, or returns wounded or physical 1 y inft a p able of further service. The medical examination presents serious'' problems, biit who can measure the - hardship to any family should, the breadwinner's health be underlined. The witter of pensions is of most vital importance'to. the soldier and'there,should be no difficulty in convincing the Government that the present scale iil totally inadequate.' But the biggest and most serious p'rpb'Bitt which face's the. prgSpeer tive soldiers is ' the ever-soaring cokt of living. . If the pay and allowances granted to our Soldier 3 were adequate at the commencement of the war, the big decline in the purchasing power of money has put a different aspect on matters. It is, of course, conceded that when the present rate of pay and pensions wa3 drawn up, the Government did not anticipate the calling up of the Second Division. ■Hence it is the duty of the Government to revise the scale, for the allowances are inadequate even for unmarried soldiers, the 5s per day being relatively worth about 3/6. Some-ideaof the rising cost of living will be gained from the statement recently issued by the Government Statistician, that in the three main food groups it now costs in Oamaru 28/1-to purchase goods which would have cost 20s before the war. It will therefore be. seen that for the Reservist who is calleduip for service, the cost of living is the vital problem; indeed this -is the problem which .faces every household throughout, '..the Dominion. If the conference, or Second Division Leagues succeeds in impressing upon the Government the urgency of making, a courageous and determined'attempt to reduce the cost of living they will earn the heartiest gratitude of the whole community. An increase in the rate of pay , and pension looks all right on the surface, but if,an increase of 25' per cent is conceded and the cost of living rises another 30 per qent. before the war comes to a conclusion, the dependants of the reservists will be placed in a very awkward predicament. The only real solution of the problem of soldiers' pay and pensions—likewise the problem of the wage-earning masses—is to reduce the cost of living. Until some effort is»mado in that direction any relief which can be obtained, will be but'temporary and inadequate. Doubtless the cost of living will be fully discussed and earnestly reviewed by the conference aiui ( e-very effort will be made to spur the Govern-.. , incut- into action.. .