SECOND DIVISION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12061, 17 July 1917, Page 8

SECOND DIVISION.

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS. MINISTER AND OFFICERS INTERVIEWED[Per Pbess Association ] j WELLINGTON, July 16. The executive of 'the Second Division League interviewed to-night- the Minister of Defence and by arrangement with the Minister there also were present Major-General Robin, SurgeonGeneral Henderson and Colonel Tate. Tho object of the meeting was to discuss proposals and requests already made to the Minister by the league.

The Minister in introducing the subject matter oi the deputation said he understood that the principal request was that men of the Second Division should be medically examined before they were called up by ballot. Presently the rolls Mould be complete and every man in the Second Division would be able to know with some degree of accuracy when he was likely to be called up to go into camp. There were two other methods by which men might know how they stood. Most men knew whether they were fit or not. If they did not know they had the opportunity of going to a private medical practitioner, who could give them a fair idea, whether they were I likely to be accepted for military service. The Minister said that a special Medico 1 Board was engaged in examining 'the medical history sheets of the 25,000 men previously rejected as unfit. Some of these men would be required again to submit .-themselves for medical examination, and ha hoped that a, considerable number of them would be found fit for service. Surgeon-General Henderson said that the military medical department wished to meet the Second Division League m the best, way it could. The difficulty was that thero were not medical men available to do the work which would be involved. In reply to a question Surgeon-Gen-eral Henderson was informed that the desir 0 was that ' the men should be examined class by class, every class to b e examined a month before the ballot. Surgeon-General Henderson: If that is what you ask we may be able to meet you. It depends on the British Medical Association. If they will let mo have twenty men to act on medical boards we may be able to manage it. Sir James Allen: The AdjutantGeneral says that examination before ballot will'make difficulties, and suggests that wo should take the ballot, a month earlier, and have tho medical examinations immediately after. Mr R. A. Armstrong said .that this would not meet the case from the point of view of tho Second Division, because if. a ballot were taken a man could be taken into camp at any time afterwards. The Minister said that the Government would not use the power under tho Act; to call up Second Division men before, the First Division wero all taken. , .. X 1 , Surgeon-General Henderson satd that all possible was being done to postpone the calling up of the Second Division. ,' / ■ . . Colonel Tate said that from the point of view of his department there were difficulties in the way of examining men before they wero balloted Une. of tho chief difficulties would bo keep-. in" a record of men medically examined in order that these men might be identified when afterwards they wero drawn in the ballot, He believed that the Second Division could get what they wanted in another way. If SurgeonGeneral Henderson could get medical men for extra boards to domcdical examination, he had no doubt the only practical wav it could be arranged was advancing tho ballot, calling men up by ballot and examining them afterwards. The position of men of the Second Division could be very easily and completely safeguarded. A man drawn in the ballot and declared medically fit after examination was mven a leave pass until lie date fixed for the assembling or the draft to which he belonged lie had tho to lodge an appeal, and the. Mi 1-tai-v Service. Board had the right to determine when he should go into camp There were two ways in winch the position of the Second Division men could bo safeguarded. One was bv making their leave pass a definite time ahead, and the other was by treating every Second Division niau s case as a case of appeal. ■ Supposing.at should fall that in tho ordinary course the first ballot of the Second Division came in December Under /his proposal the ballot would be taken in October or November. This would give every man at least a mouth extra notice, and tho procedure was just as safe as if be were examined first and balloted\ afterwards. . ■ Mr Armstrong said he. had a letter from the British Medical Association to the effect that that body was willing and anxious to assist the military authorities to carry "out medical examinations, and was anxious to help tho Second Division. He was sure the defence authorities would be able to overcome the difficulties. If would be a bad thing for industry if Second Division men were hurried away. The league was an organisation out to assist the Government in carrying out New Zealand's part in the war. It was suggested that their objections to the present systenu.could be got over by taking the ballot earlier than otherwise would be necessary. His objection was that if it should happen that there was a shortage in the reinforcements the Government would have the right to call up men already balloted to make up the shortage. It was thought that by relaxing some of the hard and fast rules pro-ballot medical examinations could be given. 'ln view of tho offer of tho British Medical Association to submit to being mobilised there should be no difficulty about the examination of men. General Henderson : Provided we are allowed to call the men up in relays. Mr Armstrong said that tho " proportion of unfit men was a large majority of the total and uncertainty, which was so bad for the community, a-ffected a very large number of men. The deputation would bo glad to have a definito assuranco that steps would bo taken to givo effect 10 its wishes. Sir James Allen: lam afraid I cannot, give that, but the staff has heard what you say, and will consider the whole problem and meet your wishes as far as possible. I. am very anxious to meet your wishes if it is at all possible. Sir James continued that he would ask the staff to thrash out tho medical inspection question, and let him know the result in a few days. Another member of tho deputation asked whether it would be made permissible for members of the Second Division to volunteer ahead for their own classes. The Minister appeared to consider the proposal a- reasonable one, and promised that it would havo consideration.

LEAGUE MEETINGS. GERALDINE. Under the auspices of the Second Division League a meeting was held.in tho Drill Hall on Saturday night. There was a large attendance of. residents of the town and surrounding country. The Mayor (Dr Pateison) presided. The chairman explained that the meeting.had been called to.consider tho action taken by the local league, to strengthen the hands of its delegav.es to the Dominion Conference, and to receive suggestions. Sinco the formation of the league three weeks ago, meetings had been held i»v the surrounding districts, and thirteen Lranthci, had been, ei-'obli.-hcd, "jth

strong committees. In only one locality visited bad no committee been set. ug,. and tbe chief, objection offered bad been to tbe name of the league. Tbe work of the Joagu© would need to be continued after tbe war, for they would still have to consider the needs of dependents. Already there had been cases where men permanently injured had had their pensions cut. off, and in such cases the league could do good work. They asked no advantage for married raen, but they said that wives should receive 3s 6d a. day instead of Is, and children Is 6d instead of 9d. One of the remits to the conference was that provision .should be made for dependents other than wife or child.

A remit from the Pleasant Valley branch was that the name of the leaguo should be changed to the Soldiers and Dependents' Welfare- League, and the Hilton branch had sent a similar remit. ■

Mr E. Murphy moved tbe adoption of the remit.

The Rev C J. Tocker moved the addition of the words, "or such other name as the conference may deem more suitable.'' Tbo motion as amended was adopted. The Pleasant Volley branch also proposed that the Government should be recommended to do away with ail unnecossarv middlemen.

Mr Murphy moved the adoption of the proposal. The chairman said he thought that tbo Wellington and Dunedin remits a& to controlling the- cost of Jiving would cover the- object, of the movers of this remit.

Mr Flatman said he would support a suggestion that the Efficiency Board should go into the rruestion of tbe cost of living, with a view to lightening the cost.

' The Rev C J. Tocker thought they should support tbe Wellington and Dunedin remit. They did not know what the cost of living might extend to. Mr Murphy adhered to his motion, and said there was a big difference between it and the remits referred to.

Mr Hughes said it. was well known that middlemen were making immense profits. The league wanted to secure equality of sacrifice. Mr Connolly expressed the opinion that the cost of living was of greater importance than the rate of pay. No Parliament would think of eliminating tlie middleman; there was room for all. Ho spoke highly of the work done, by the Efficiency Board. Mrs Baizeeri said it did not matter about tho middleman., provided the Stato- reached the war profits. Ttwas ultimately agreed to adopt the Wellington and Otago remits with the addition of the Pleasant Valley one. Tho Te Moana. branch desired the conference to consider whether . the wife or child of a soldier who misbehaved should be deprived of pay, stilting that to so deprive them would be to punish the* innocent. Messrs Burrows and Gale supported the 'remit', which was .adopted. Mr Flatman stated that when a. man was killed at, the front his pay was stopped at once, .and a. good deal of red tape had to bo dealt, with before a dependent could get. anything. In some instances delays .of months had occurred, and efforts had been made to induce, people to take less than they wore entitled, to. He asked their delegates'to tak r . up this matter. Tt was agreed that the delegates should do so. It was resolved that Dr Patcrsoa, the Bev C. J. Toeker and Mr Connolly should ho appointed delegates to tho conference. BRANCH FORMED AT RANGIORA. A meeting was held at Rangiora, last evening for tho purposo of forming a branch of the Second Division League. There was an attendance of about forty, and tho Mayor (Mr C. 1. Jennings) presided. Messrs H. R. Martiu and K. H. Fountain, members of the executive of tho Christchureh Centre, addressed the meeting, emphasising the urgent need for united action 011 the part 01 the Second Division reservists to take steps to conserve tho interests of their wives and families in the event of c;j!I to military service, :ind detailing at length tho league's proposals to that end.

In the course of his remarks Mr Martil said it, was not, part of tlio league's object, to recommend to tho Goverumeu, who, or who should not, go to the front. Conscription-, being on the Statute. .Book, the attitude taken up by the league wan that tho .law must bo complied with; hut at the same time the members wanted a. fair deal. for. their wives and families, which they would certainly not get tinder iho present scale of allowances and pensions.

Mr R. W. Walker, another member of the Christchureh Centre, supplementcd the other delegates' remarks with a. short statement of his unhappy experiences in the. matter of a pension alter losing an eye in the Boer war. After a lew questions had been replied to. on the motion of Mr IT. U. I). Van Afech, seconded by Mr \\. M'Gruer, it was resolved to form a. branch of the league, for llaugiora and the surrounding district. The Mayor was elected president and Mr' W. A. Rouse secretary and treasurer Tho following committee was elected:-The Rev "\V. H Howes and Messrs IT. Cobden Cox. AV. Etford, .IT. N. Hawkins, A. Slianklaud, C. S. Avers, E. Trollope, J. Angus and H. Cliappell. ... r i i • The annual subscription.was fixed nt 2s 6d for men and Is for ladies. A hcartv vote of thanks w»s accorded to the "delegates from Chnstchnrch. Twentv-five, members were enrolled, and at "the. committee meeting, bed subsequently, arrangements were made to-canvas for members. Tt was derided that a street meeting should be held on the evening of Saturday,- July 28, to urge the claims of the league.