SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15341, 2 October 1917, Page 7

SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

TO THU imTOB. Sir, —In view of the growing opinion that- certain members of the Second Division League, both here and elsewhere, are pver-reachlng themselves, and consequently alienating public sympathy, it is interesting to note the following, which appeared in a recent issue of an Auckland publication, and which X will ask you to kindly publish; “The Second Division League has developed into a. class division league. According to its latest ideas Smythe, w r hose father obtained a soft job for him at £5 a week, ought to be better paid by the military than plain Smith, who has a fine physique and labours on the wharf. It is a pretty rotten doctrine. Smith’s life is as valuable as Smythe’s, and is worth as much nationally and in a military sense; furthermore, Smith’s wife and kiddies are of a,s much value to the State as Smythe’s, who live in the best suburb. It Is a queer commentary on our boasted democracy that the class division idea should break out now.” The above appears to hit the' nail squarely on the head. The Second Divisionists who are making most clamour are mostly business men, fairly well off. They talked much “flag” patriotism when plain -Bill Smith was going away, but made no clamour about the fact that Bill’s “missis and kids” had to grub along on less than 35/- a week. But now that they have to make the sacrifice themselves they drop their flag talk, and make much clamour for “more money for ‘me’.” Plenty of working men’s wives have had to "grub along” on 35/- a week and feed the husband as well. But should a business man’s wife be required to do it? “Oh, no! This is a democratic country,’’ they say. Still, as one of them says: “A man’s sacrifice should be judged by what he has ‘left’ to keep, his family on.” So give these men who have enjoyed good “screws” a bit more than the “other chap.”—l am, ©tc. ANTI-HUMBUG.