SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16595, 19 July 1917, Page 6

SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

DOMINION CONFERENCE.

NEW SCHEME OF ALLOWANCES.

[BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The Dominion Conference of the Second Division Leagues was held to-day. ' Addressing the conference this morning, Sir James Allen raid he felt fairly safe in predicting that the combing out and reexamination of First Division reservists would produce at least one reinforcement, possibly two. Classification of the Second Division would not be completed until August. He was confident of the loyal support of the Second Division. The Government would do its best to relieve them of their difficulties in respect of wives and other dependants. He could not give definite information, but intended to submit a scheme to Parliament as early as possible.

The conference resolved that the Government should be requested to provide the necessary machinery for completing the medical examination of each class of the Second Division at least one morith before the ballot in such class is taken, and also that all C2 men. after being passed as fit on re-examination, shall not be required to go into camp before the expiry of three months from such examination. Other resolutions were that the medical examination should be made the deciding factor as to the liability of the State, so that if a man is passed as physically fit by an examining medical board, the State shall take full responsibility from the moment of his parading for entry into camp, and that, in the event of his death or disablement by disease or accident, when on leave included, he and his dependants shall be entitled to the same pensions and allowances as if death or disablement had occurred on active service, or resulted from his employment as a member of the Expeditionary Force; that the Government should be requested to provide such competent control of the cost of living as will ensure the protection of pensions and allowances from being at anv future time rendered inadequate by the operations of those seeking private profit out of the necessaries of life, the Government to take such action as will result in a reduction of the cost of living, and that allowances to wives and all dependants should increase in the same ratio as the cost of living; that provision should be made by the Government for recording the votes of all soldiers at Home or abroad at all general elections and referenda, and on all national questions submitted to the people for decision by popular vote; that the State should provide a legal representative in each town where a board sits, whose services shall be available to appellants before a military service board free of cost to appellants; that the register of all classes of reservists should be immediately completed by the authorities and steps taken to enforce the penal provisions of the Act.