SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 5850, 25 September 1917, Page 5

SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE

LOCAL BRANCH FOK'MED

A SUCCESSFUL MEETING

Despite the very inclement weath- j er, there was a large attendance of , men at the meeting held in the 1 King’s Theatre last evening for the purpose of forming a branch of the Second Division League. Considerable interest was manifested in the remarks or the various speakers and hearty applause was frequent. Mr \V . | J .Palmer was voted to the chair. Mr A. C. Holms, secretary of the Feaxherston branch. apologised for | the absence of Mr H. F. Toogood and! j lie proceeded to explain the proposals | of the League, stating that the latter j was ont to • secure' its demands by j legislation and not by regulation and to b«f J e the fines- j ■Dion of pay, sepdfa-tion allowance*,, j pensions, etc.', settled once and for all. They wanted to make it clear that they were out not only for the I interests' of all married men. but for I all. soldiers and their dependents. At ( the recent Second Division Conference i in Wellington numbering 61 dele- ! gates from 91 Leagues, it had been resolved, after a keen debate, to leave the question of soldiers’ pay to Pailiament. The main object of lho League was to keep the home life l m- i tac-t. involving suitable pensions and allowances!, and he thought the success of the recent loan in New Zealand showed that the country could easilv meet all the claims of the League. The members of the Saeond = Division did not wish to evade their responsibiities. hut desired to Take every reasonable precaution to avoid the necessity of going to the Appeal Board. The Second Division men wanted to do the light thing at the right time . Mr Holms explained at some length the scale of allowances which the League is endeavouring to have adopted. These, he said were applicable to soldiers of all ranks, with no class distinction, and that they should also apply to all officers. Tire League had, ak'tjer careful consideration, adopted the British Pensions Scheme, which was fche_ right scheme, and they asked that >0 per cent, he added to the British* scheme, in order to meet the changed economic conditions in New Zealand. The scheme of pensions for totally disabled soldiers wa- as follows : Single or married soldier of any rank. £’2 Is 3d per week, every child 10s 6d per week.

every motherless child 17s 6d per week, chronic invalid wife 10s per week extra, chronic invalid child 5s per week extra. He explained the various degrees oi incapacitation. There was a n alternative pen-ion pro. po&al, to enable a soldier to claim prewar earnings or a portion thereof, the object- being to approximately reinstate a man to the position from which he had been taken. AU had been fixed on a definite basis so a man would know what to expect tor every cla~s ol injury. The pension scheme proposed on the death of a soldier was as follows: W idow with children. £2 16s per week; widow, without children, and others who l lv dependent. £2 5s 6d per week : every motherl ess- child. 17s 6d per week; chronic invalid wi‘i, 10s ;>ei week extra : chronic invalid child 5s per week (no “die fimst on ohi'd). The *<AWa nces> to wife or others dependent, (excluding childrenall soldiers of all ranks, 6s per day: to every child, Is 6d per day; every motherless child, 2s 6d per day chronic invalid wife 10s per week extra; clironic invalid child 5s per week extra (no age limit on chiid). The League was also asking for a maternity bonus of £6. subject to a limit of income of £SOO annually, failing this, that the wives of soldiers be given the benefit of such a financial scheme as an alternative to free* admission to Government maternity homes, and that in connection with the latter provision railway travelling expenses l>e provided where necessary. It was also requested that the Moratorium shall be extended to soldiers’ widows. With regard to medical examination of Second Division men, the League desired that the three months’ notice should date from the medical examination and not from the ballot ; further that the allowance of 30s to a returned soldier for a civilian outfit should be increased to £5. The internment of all enemy aliens of military age- was also demanded The cost of interned enemy aliens per head per day (firstclass) was given as 10s 7sd, while a soldier or*st only Is 6d a head per day. The necessity of dealing with the alien menace was strongly urged by Mr Holms, ansi his remarks in this connection were loudly applauded. The pr‘-sent Reservists’ Roll was, the speaker declared absolutely disgraceful. The estimates given as to the

number of men drawn in the ballot anrl unaccounted for varied from 1500 to 3000. hut h<‘ attributed the evasion of responsibilities to the insufficiency of penalties. With regard to the cost of living, the Hoard set up frv the Government had reported that there had been no exploitation, and so he could only ask them to aeopt that assurniiee. FTc also referred to the scieritifiea.lly graduated land and income tax as put forward hy tin* League and the sneme of tho Minister for Finance. The necessity establishing a Furlough Fund in Tyonlon for soldiers on leave was stri -- ed hy Mr Holms, who alluded to the delays and expense ; ,t present incurred fry soldiers cabling out to relatives for nionev. By the time the money reached Horne the men were back in tin trenches, anH he sug-gest*-d the Patriotic Societies making a grant towards a Furlough Fund for , the soldiers from «ioh particular dis- | triet. Tire f/< ague was against the pro|M>saJ t irall up youths of 19. or 1 for the latter to have the option of enlisting. Tho Second Division did ■ot desire, to I*- officered bv boys, and rher«i‘orc bad asked the Minist<*r of I). fence send sufficient rri.en from , tin- front to officer the Second Division. fri conclusion, be said the men ; of the Brsyrnd Division we re willing to do tlwiir dutv. (Hear, hear.) And t li> ir whole object was to assist the . Government in every way p&Wiblc to bring the war to a victorious conelu j sion (Applause). Tlie men of tho Second Division would bo found as willing and as ready to take their responsibility as the First Divison dill. It would greaWy rengthen them when tli/cy went forth to know that! their homes wore being kept n.s they should he kept. They could not pow-

sibly expect to get the best from a man who went out disgruntled. At the suggestion of Mr Evans the speaker explained, for the benefit of some in the room, the difference between legislation and regulation. The ; former was the work of the House, j and they knew how each member stood, while regulation may be altered by the sweet will of the Minister, and they objected to anything of that sort. (Applause). Mr G. H. Smith, M.P.. who. was applauded, said it was the first occasion on which he had heard the Teague’s aims so fully set out, and hei gave great credit, to the men who had devoted so much time and labour to the forming of the. Leaguel's proposals. Mr Smith urged that the League should concentrate its efforts on matters directly bearing on the League and not introduce political issues of a controversial nature. Fuller provisions for married men and dependents had not been made up to the present proba b'y because the Government assumed that when a married man enlisted he was able to leave his family provided for. He referred to hardships occasioned by placing those married subsequent to loth May, 1915 in the First Division arising out of the lact that no previous notice had been given by the Government of this intention. Mr Smith expressed his hearty approval a lid support of several of the League’s proposals, and emphatically agreed that all the provisions should be clearly scheduled on the lines of the principle established in the Workers’ Compensation for Accidents Act. What was reasonable provision depended On the resources of the country, and he reiterated the great 1 amount which the Government had' to find this year either in loans or direct taxation, and if the war continued! till next year the sum woulr be larger. He assured the meeting that a majority of the House were earliest in their desire to secure full justice for the Second Division. Respecting the mediicali examination of the meu. he agreed that eariy examination was necessary, but pointed out tliiat there was a. great shortage of doctors. He also thought the ? n - lough Fund proposal could be given favourable consideration by the Patriotic Societies. It was the first) time lie liad heard such a proposa I mentioned. The 30s given for tile purchase of a civilian outfit was laughingly dealt with, and Mr Smith stated whiat the local War Relief Executive had been doing for some time past in this matter. Respecting the cost of living, he could offer no panacea. Xobody made the slightest snggest.on how to deal w.ith it except to raise wages. He understood that there was very iittle more poverty in \ew Zealand now than before the war. due to increased wages, and to the general prosperity of the country. Regarding equality of sacrifice, the only way *he considered was to make those who don’t go pay for those who do. He assured 1 them that full and proper provision for the wives and children of the men who go to the front won id have his heartiest support. (Applause)

Mr Hue. of Masterton, said tlie League had applied, but without success, to get a legal representative for appellants before tlie the M.Utary Board's. He was quite satisfied from interviews he had with Ministers and members that but for the League's efforts, very little would have beau done in semiring proper pension* alnd allowances, etc., for the men of. the Second Division. This was due to the apathy and indifference of M.P.’s. In reply to Mr D. Moriarty. who asked what would be the attitude of the League if its demands were not acceded to Mr Holmes assured him

that the T-eague had nailed its colours to the mast, and would leave no etone unturned to attain its objects. Tt was unanimously resolved. on the motion of Mr Eooleton, that a branch of the League bo formed in Paihiatua. Mr Moriarty was elected President, Mr Badger secretary and: Mr EecletOn treasurer, with the following as an executive: Messrs ~W. J. Palmer, J. It, Oook, J Mcßwert. J. I>. C. Crewe, Oormack. G. A. Harvey and A. BeotVv. The annufel subscription was fixed at 2s 6d. A large number of members were enrolled. Votes of thanks were passed to the vis ting speakers. Mr Smith and the Chairman.