SECOND DIVISION MEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17113, 19 September 1917, Page 5

SECOND DIVISION MEN

PAY AND; PENSIONS. STATUTE VEESUS REGULATIONS. t Some 300 ladies and gentlemen assembled t in the Burns Hall last night in response to - au invitation by the National Welfare Asso- ) ciation and tho Second Division League to discuss tho question of pay and peao/sions. Mr J. B. Sbo/sklook, who presided, said lie understood the principal grievance was tho question of pay and separation allowances. Tho determination of tho organisa- • tions under which the meeting was held was that theso amounts bo fixed by statute- in?stoad of by regulation. He was quite m sympathy with their demands in this respect, and he thought it only reasonable u that tho men of the Second Division should desire to go away satisfied that the provision made for their dependents was adeI <iuate. According to the Minister of Defence, it had been decided that tho scale of pay and pensions should be controlled by regulations. Personally, ho could see no reason why it should not bo dealt with, by ■ ( statute as urged by the Second Division League and the National Welfare Association. The objection to having it fixed by regulation was that it could bo altered at any timo that the Government of the day chose. 'This was most unsatisfactory. t The Rev. S. G. Griffith Maid ho felt that - upon every man and woman throughout tho dominion there rested an obligation of no small quality in connection with the ques--1 tions which were now agitating the minds of men belonging to the Second Division. The timo was not far off when tho men of this division would be called on to tako such ; a. part in tho battles of the Empire, that demanded from them a sacrifice. These duties carried with them tho dangers of a • soldier's life, and the organisations ho had - referred to held themselves responsible. The men and women of the dominion were determined to see that right and justice was . done, and they were going to see that there was no laxity on the part of those who had the arranging of tho scales of payment, and to see that no nian stood in the way of '• their object being achieved.—(Hear, hear, and applause.) They were not only desirous of seeing justice done to tho3e who were . about to go forth, but also to those who had J gono forth, many of whom, ho regretted .' to say, had paid the supreme sacrifice. '. History taught them that men who fought ' their country's battles had not always been f treated in a manner befitting the dtrties j they had performed; but, on the contrary, ; that a largo proportion of them ended their lives in the workhouse or were the recipients of alms. He had no hesitation in saying that every loyal New Zealander was ; determined that this should not happen in L this fair dominion, and that no soldier ; who had fought for his country should have '■ to end Iris days in the workhouse or plead J . for a pittance of charity.—(Loud and pro- > longed cheers.) This was an urgent matter, > and when the National Government some > six months ago had tho matter brought 7 under its notice by the Second Division f League the answer was that it would ; re- '■' ceive attention at as early a date as posf' sible, but _ nothing had yet been done in j.' this direction. The people were determined ,1 that no man should be torn from his family . until the Government had placed on the £ Statute Book an adequate scale of pay and 5 pensions.—(Prolonged cheers.) The speaker ,1 then referred to the cost of living. The L Government sat idly by while the price of ; *|}f primary products continued to rise. j Iherc was not a country in the world which [. was per capita as rich as this favoured r, country, and he questioned if there was a i, country so extravagant. At present they ; were spending £4,000,000 annually in strong ; drink, and yet, said the speaker, we could ; not make adequate provision for onr soll- diers and their dependents. There were* ; people who were .fattening as the result of L the war, and the Government was not tak- ; ing steps to prevent it. He realised that 5 some of the bravest and kindest things which had been done in connection with this war were done by women's fingers.— j (Applause.) He also recognised that there* wero many business men who had delved deep into their pockets in contributing to patriotic funds, but he asserted that this course should not have been necessary. It 1- was the duty of the Government to have mot these demands,—(Loud and prolonged 3, cheers.) It was difficult to suggest a re3. medy for the present state of affairs, as the c, Government sat securely entrenched.—(A ; Voice: An election wQI do it.) It was the duty of the people to let the Government know in no uncertain voice what the feeling of the community was on the matter. Tho country demanded such legislation as he euggested, and it also demanded justice on behalf of the soldiers at tho front and those who were going and their dependents. Ho moved—" That this meeting endorses in detail the decision of the recent dominion v conference, and reaffirms the following great ■' principles: —(1) That legislation making adequate provision in regard to pensions and allowances for all soldiers of all ranks and their dependents, as by right be placed j on the Statute Book, such legislation to , b-3 retrospective in its action, before any ballot of Second Division men is held; and that separation allowances for dependents i be decided by Parliament, and not bv regu- > lation. (2) That the State must take, full responsibility for every reservist from the moment he parades for entry into camp, and that the War Pensions Act be amended to give effect thereto. (3) That the medical examination being tho determining factor as to liability for actual service, and in "• view of the Defence Minister's statement " that a pro-ballot examination could not now d> be provided, an amendment' be made to >t the Military Service Act so that no reser d Vist can be ordered into the camp before >- tho expiry of three months after the medical examination. (4) That this meeting looks to the members of Parliament for the various Otago provincial electoral districts 10 to. give their full support to the above pro- ° posals, and to use all the forms of tho House to see that justice is done to all 0 soldiers and their dependents." 3 > Mr G. F. Bcwley, who (seconded the e motion, congratulated the Second Division League and the National Welfare Associa- " tion in joining forces on this important *" question of pay and pensions. The two e organisations wero determined that those at present in tho field would not require to '" look back to see if they wero to bo ade- " quately reinforced.—(Loud applause). They y wanted to know, however, that their de--18 pendents were adequately provided lor. »£ Both organisations had flourished becauso ° the Government had failed in its duty, and ° both were determined that the Government should do its duty. They were not going '■ to take tho risk of allowing tho GovernI s ment to fix the amounts of pay and pensions by regulation. He admitted it was going to cost a lot of money, but the extra k» revenue which had come into the country ; - as a result of the war was adequate for '- tho purpose. He maintained that 6s per e day was not too much to allow, the wife of d a reservist to live on, and this should be supplemented by a weekly allowance of 10s 6d for each child. The greatest qucst tion was, however, that of pensions. The ' Second Division Conference decided on a minimum weekly allowance of £2 Is 3d for a widow, and 10s 6d for each child. At present the maximum was 25s and 5s respectively. This was the scale in"" Great 'y Britain, and surely thi3 rich' young country :, con Id afford that. The speaker then read i- copies of telegrams ' which had passed bcs tween Sir James Allen and himself relative r to the fixing of tho scale of pay and pene sibns by regulation inntenil of by statute, !1 the Minister pointing out that it would be i to the disadvantage of the soldier and his - dependents to have tho amount fixed by ; statute. Tho speaker then dealt with i the cost of living, and assorted that the i bulk of tho peoplo were behind the league - in demanding that tho Government take i> stops at once to reduce tho price of Jhe • primary products J In reply to a question as to what the > Second Division League intended to do J in the event of the Government refusing to " accede to its request in the matter of ? pay and pensions, Mr Bowley said that ar--3 rangemenis were in hand to hold another s conference in Wellington if necessary. f The league intended to adhere, to constitu--5 tional means to achieve its object, and he t did not think it would fail.—(Loud apf plausc.) 5 Tho motion was carried unanimously amid • cheers. 1 Mr A. M. Shugar referred to other mat- | tors connected with the conduct of the war, ' and took exception to Canadian salted but- " tor being given to the troops on a trans- ; port, which butter, said the speaker, was 5 unfit for human consumption. A motion J of protest was proposed by him and carried j unanimously. ' Tho National Anthem was sung at the commencement and conclusion of the pro- -' ceedings, and Messrs T. Bauchop and S. " G. contributed vocal items of a pat- " riotic nature. ■ WHAT CABINET IS DOING. A HINT' PROM MR MASSEY. r (From Oun Own ConnEßPONowr.) WELLINGTON, September 18. 1 During the past few days it 13 understood that Cabinet has been considering tho question of allowances and pensions to bo paid to the dependents of tho membors of tho Second Division when tho Second Division is called up.

A hint as to -£he amount agreed upon by "; Cabinet was given by the Prime Minister < this evening when moving the second read- '[ ing of the Sale of liquor Restriction B3L Cabinet daring the past few days had been * considering, proposals which would mean - f tihe expenditure of approximately £700.000, ho said. Asiked by members whether they would \ have this proposal coming before them i&aa session, Mr Masney replied in the affirma- >; tive, and stated that the amount might be > more than £700,000.