SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14546, 26 October 1917, Page 2

SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

MEETING AT CANVASTOWN

A large and enthusiastic meeting of settlors and the genoral public was held in the Debating""Hall, Oanvaetown, on Monday evening. The meeting was Called by the local branch of the Second Division League, to protest against the attitude of tho Government m -'connection with the league's demands. Mr F. T. Flower,. president of the local branch of the league, occupied the chair. After.-.^statingthe purpose for ■which the meeting- had been called,- Mr Flower'dealt -'with the objects of the .league. , The demands of the league he considered- more tiian.reasoriable, in comparison for the sacrifice' Second Division" reservists were being called on to make. A motion, "That this meeting of representative citizens of Canvastown ex-1 presses its tvn qualified conviction thatj the present war must be prosecuted until England arid her Allies are able to secure a peace wholly consistent with their ideals," was carried unanimously, and was followed by the singing of the1 National Anthem. Mr C F. Hart addressed the meeting at some length, quoting, facts and fir-; ures to show that the country was well able to bear the burden of" taxation which the demands of the league would necessitate if granted. Much disapproval was voiced at the attitude of the members for. Nelson and Wairau, who, it was asserted, had avowed their sympathy with the league's demands and then voted against them. As expressing the feeling of the meeting, the following motion was proposed and carried unanimously :—"That this meeting of the electors of Canvastown expresses its regret over the action of their representative in Parliament in voting against i the-demands of. ,the. Second Division j League,'especially in the matter, of al-lowances,"-and further calls upon him to_ explain why he firstly avowed sympathy with the demands of the league1, i and; secondly,, voted against them.'' ' 1 Several 6ther speakers also addressed -the, meeting.- The following motion, to be sent to the Prime Minister, was submitted to the meeting and carried •unanimously•:—"That this meeting of , representative citizens of Canvastown strongly protests against the statement made by the Prime Minister, in which he declared that the Second Division League.was not playing the game in interviewing members of Parliament, and respectfully asks the Prime Minister to vindicate this statement, in view of the fact that members of the league are willing to give their lives for the attainment of national ideals, and ask in return for this nothing but the effective application of the principle of equality of sacrifice, for the oniy purpose of saving members' dependents from hardship, and especially members' children from . being handicapped in equipping the'nrsblv-33 for lire, to the advantage of, the children of those .parents who are''not making the military sacrifice; and further wishes to know if it is net possible to have the whole matter of the league's demands reconsidered." • ■ . .