OAMARU SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17081, 13 August 1917, Page 7

OAMARU SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

At a special meeting held in Oamaro on Saturday night, tho North Otago section of tho Second Division League carried a resolution strongly protesting against reduction in the ago at which military service beoome3 compulsory. WANTED, AN ALERT PUBLIC. TO THE KDITOU. Sib, —I am suro that everyone will bo highly gratified with your leading article m this morning's Daily Times. There i 3 no doubt our present so-called National Government is doing everything it possibly can to induce its supporters to rally round it more than ever. Our present adminis-tra-tora aro really a party Government without Opposition. The idea of a National Government was very clever, no doubt; but sooner the general public forms itsolf into an opposition the better, and the sooner will an improvement be mado in tiio Government. If a curb is not put on it at once it will soon gallop over us rough-shod. I hopo everyone will read your article and get the full sense of it, but what I think tho people want is a straightout and simplo list of the different rates of income tax that will be payable by the various investors in . various kinds of investments; such as debentures in private firms, City Corporation debentures, money lying at deposit in banks, mortgages, etc., etc., etc. If you will print such' a list you will, I am suro, bo conferring a great favour on us, and will cause us to feel very grateful to you; for it is difficult for tho ordinary averago man to fully grasp the intricacies of parliamentary "jargon." I am beginning to think that we aro far too long-suffering, and that with tho support of our two newspapers, which aro evidently against the new taxation impositions, we should rise in our might and insist upon oven-handed justice being meted out to everyone. In evory-day life "might is right" everywhere and every time, and if wo aro too indifferent or too lethargic or lazy to uso our might to obtain our right wo shall certainly be left in the cold. I often wonder what has come over tho people. We aro supposed to have a Constitution, a free Constitution, by which the power of an Executive or -Legislature can. bo limited, and yet as a people we are apparently so hypnotised that we are not ablo to_ ,seo where wo are drifting to. Tho King is reported to have said "Wake up, England." Well, let us say "Wake up, Now Zealand," before wo find the capitalist Colossus 'standing over us, with his gigantic ladle ready to swallow us all up in his efforts to obtain nourishment for himself.—l am, °t c -> Verb Sap. [Tho particulars relative to the incidence of taxation will not be available until tho legislation imposing the taxes is introduced. —ED. O.D.T.] "GIVE THE YOUTHS A CHANCE." Sik,—l notice that the National Welfare Association and the Second Division League both enter their protest against the calling up of youths under 20 years of age. There is not a member of the National "Welfare Association who will be alfected by this proposal unless, perchance, some of them are frightened it will take them longer to get away with tho Second Division. I reckon they should leave this question alono. According to statistics there will bo 9000 youths who will bo affected, and' I venture to say that not one in a hundred will bo unwilling to serve. None of them will wish in future years to say they missed the Great "War by ono year, so give them their chance. Then, I ask, what is the difference' between a youth 19 years and on© 20 years. Absolutely none in staying porwer, so again I say let the leagues and associations keep quiet and let tho Government give the youths a chance.—l am, etc., Outram, August 11. F. M. p.