SECOND DIVISION MATTERS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17110, 11 October 1917, Page 3

SECOND DIVISION MATTERS.

REPLY TO MR. L. D. PATERSON,

Speaking at Waverley on Monday night, Mr. C. H. Burnett made the following statements on behalf of the Wanganui Branch of the Second Division League in reply to Mr. L. D. Paterson's communication to the Minister of Defence in respect to the demands made by the League upon the Government. Mr. Burnett said:

"With reference to the representations made by Mr. Paterson, I desire, on behalf of our Branch of the League, to place the following statement of the position on record from our point of view at the earliest moment. As a 'League we do not desire to raise any objection to what Mr. Paterson may represent to the Minister as his personal opinion, or in fact to w.hat he may represent as the opinion of the Second Reservists, provided Mr. Paterson has obtained authority to make these representations on behalf of any section, organisation or community of Second Reservists. For instance, has Mr. Paterson taken any steps to call together Second Reservists and place before these gentlemen the views he has so forcibly expressed to the Minister as being the 'opinion of the great and worthy majority of we Second Division men here.' These are Mr. Paterson's exact words. On the other hand, our League is at least representative of nearly 1000 men of the Reserve in Wanganui town alone and the membership increases day by day. Further, 180 Leagues were represented at the last Conference, and the proposals we have from time to time "placed before the Government have been given expression to by the whole of these affiliated Leagues. I put it to this meeting. Would it not have been a more fitting thing for Mr. Paterson to have communicated with our secretary and advised him of the views of the 'great and worthy majority' of the Reserve he represented, and which he alleges are opposed to the policy and action of our League in these particular matters Would it not have been a fair request to have demanded a conference with our League before taking this step? But no! Mr. Paterson has known for some considerable time our League's views and policy and has been aware of the public meetings called from ■time'to time along the length and breadth of the coast, and his letter indicates that he carefully followed the 'propaganda.' Mr. Paterson was advised through the Press of our last meeting at the Opera House. Is it not strange that Mr. Paterson has never availed himself of the Press or the public platform of placing his views and the views of the great and worthy majority he represents, before the public. But no! Without any notice, either verbally or in writing, to the president or secretary, Mr. Paterson sends forth his communi-, cation to the Right Hon. Minister of Defence, viz., that the 'great and worthy majority' are quite satisfied with the Government's proposals as first brought down, and more than satisfied with the provision more recently made. We are quite aware that the Second Reserve contains many men whose views do not coincide with ours. The points at issue is: had Mr. Paterson any mandate from or authority to make representations of these views on their behalf. I submit he had not. It now falls upon Mr. Paterson to indicate his following, its number, his authority to act and in what: direction. Assuming Mr. Paterson had authority to send this communication to the Minister, surely these gentlemen he claims to represent have not agreed to accept 'in toto' the ■ Government proposals without, first giving the matter full consideration. The demands we have made surely merited this consideration at the hands of these gentlemen. The message sent forward to the Minister was" calculated to give the Minister a wrong impression and as a matter of fact was indicative of the fact that that gentleman and those associated with him had not given that serious consideration to the details of the proposals that its importance warranted. Further, it was not a fair communication to send in view of all the circumstances, especially in view of the ract that it involved questions that affected the whole of our soldiery, be he a First or Second Division man. I make the assertion quite respectfully. Our League has no desire to embarrass the Government. We recognise the tremendous burden the country has to bear and will continue to bear for many years. My friend (Mr. Ross) has read: you the opinion of the "Dominion" on the ability of the country to meet the demands of our League. I now understand that the Minister of Finance threatens to reduce the Income Tax Exemption to £150 per annum. It the Minister is correctly reported, my personal opinion is that this is a 'shriek' from the Minister and calculated to enlist the sympathy of the man with £300 per annum and under. As a League, we have never asked for the reduction of the exempted incomes of £300 per annum and under. But we have asked- and we ask to-day for the abolishment of the flat rate at £6400 per annum and the scientific graduation of all incomes from £6400 to the maximaim income. This proposal is just and equitable, bringing this taxing system to bear upon those who have the most to lose in proportion to their means and ability to pay. This proposal would be a real step in the direction of equality cf sacrifice, and would at once relieve the pressure that to-day rests heavily upon the moderate incomes, and provide all the money that is immediately required to meet increased pensions and interest on loan money . necessary for the allowances of wives and dependents. As a matter of fact the Departmental Estimates provide ample money to meet the demands we have placed before the Government.

Oar League has arrived at its conclusions after an immense amount of work. We have endeavoured to find sums calculated at the "irreduciable minimums." We have endeavoured to formulate proposals that will not embarrass the Government or the country, and in doing so we have fixed the allowances and pensions on a scale that will give our dependents a fair and equitable provision consistent with the cost of living to-day, and the great sacrifices that have been made and will be made by the men who have gone and the men who are going. You must imderstand that pensions are paid out of revenue and allowances out of loan money."