SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3039, 28 March 1917, Page 6

SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE

FORMED IN WELLINGTON

PROTECTION FOR DEPENDANTS

About one hundred men interested in the formation of, a Wellington Second Division League met in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall last night. Councillor A. Veitch was in the chair, aud spoke briefly regarding the purposes of the league. The conveners of the meeting, he said, had.no intention of hampering the Government at any point. Their prime object was to secure the successful conclusion of the war. But they felt strongly that it was their duty to see that their families and dependants were suitably provided for. The Second Divieionmen wero willing to fieht, but they wanted to make sure that' tlreir country would do the right thing by their dependants. 'Mr. R. A. Armstrong moved: "That this meeting of Second Division Reservists expresses its loyalty to His Majesty the King and liis Government in Now Zealand, and its determination to assist in every possible way to carry the war to a victorious conclusion, and that for this purpose a Second Division League be now formed i;i Wellington and a committee elected to draft a constitution and report as early as possible to a further general meeting of members, and to perform such other executive acts as may be deemed necessary in the interests of the league." He said that similar organisations ■had been formed in other centres, but affiliation would not necessarily take place. The league owed its inception to a feeling that Second Division men ouKht to get together and place their views and their clgimj before the Goyernmont. The league would notbe in itny way political. It would aim at assisting the Government in the successful prosecution of tho war. Iho conveners of the meeting believed that the New.Zealand (rovornment had done extraordinarily well in conducting its share of tbe war under conditions of immense difficulty. Mr. Armstrong proceeded to say that the men of the Second Division had a duty to their families as well as to the State. The league offered no refuge to slackers and dodgers. But it asked that when married men. wero sent to fight, it should be with an assurance that tho children they had brought into the world should be provided for as adequately .as possible. There should be no uncertainty for thoso who were left behind. The Second Division men were entitled to demand that they should Be able to fight without anxiety regarding the material welfare of their families. The mobilising of the Second Division was going to create conditions of a very difficult character, and tho men most intimately conterned must ■ face their, own responsibilities in the matter. Mr. Armstrong . mentioned that the conveners of the meeting had gathered some information regarding the condi* tipns of service. Several points demanded attention. It appeared, for example,, that a pensions Doard might refuse a pension to a wife and family it ,the breadwinner died on active service from some disease from which he had suffered earlier in life. That did not seem right. If a man was paesed as fit by a medical board, the Government sTiou'ld take full responsibility. Then, if a soldier was killed while on leave, his family would get no pension. That was a weak point that should be rectified. The conveners had found that the speoial financial allowanco for rent, interest, etc., did not place volunteers and balloted men on the same footing. The volunteer had 'merely to fill up a form. The balloted .man had. to appeal for complete exemption on the ground of undue hardship before he could secure any allowance.at all. Tho regulation would force nearly all the married.men to appeal for exemption. Hi conclusion, Mr. Armstrong said that the Second Division men owed a great debt of gratitude to the men who had 1 already faced the enemy in the field. They recognised .that debt, and were prepared now to do their share. They realised, too, that hardships were unavoidable. But they had_ the duty, of seeing that thoso hardships were reduced to an absolute minimum, as far as the wives and ohildren were concerned. The married men would play the game; they were prepared to mako sacrifices that the unmarried, ohildless men would scarcely understand. They did not fear, and they, would not shirk. But they would demand just treatment for the loved ones who must stay behind. " v Mr. D. F. Skinner seconded tlio motion. He mentioned the desirability of placing the medioal examination before the ballot, so that married men might know whether or not they would be accepted for service'and so have more time to adjust their affairs. The Second Division men were to be classified, and the examination, of the reservists class by class would not entail any great strain on' the medical boards. Mr. Skinner added that the idea of the conveners, if the league was formed, was to establish an office where Second Division men might get information. It would be necessary to appoint a secretary, who probably would be a returned soldier.

Councillor J. E. Fitzgerald support- , eed the motion. He said the Second Division men were not becoming hysterical at the prospect of mobilisation. But they were not going to Iβ lulled into a false sense of security by the ambiguous statements of responsible persons. They wanted tlio Government to understand clearly its responsibilities to the dependants of the men who went to fight. _ There was much work for the league to do.

After some discussion, the motion was carried by a large majority. A section of the meeting indicated its fearithat the control of the league was going to remain in the hands of the conveners.

When the chairman asked for nominations • for the committee, Mr. A. Agnew moved, and Mr. H. Grey seconded, an amendment that the whole meeting should form tho committee and discuss the platform forthwith. The amendment was defeated by a large majority on a show of hands. The following committee wae p'octed: Messrs. R. A. Armstrong, J. F. Atkins, P.. Baillio, W. Harvey. A. S. Mitchell, R. Plimmor, D. F. Skinner, T. Smith, W. G. Talbot, R. Wilson, N. Smith. B. Rule, Robins, Chapman, and Howell.

Some rather heated discussion took place with regard to the constitution of the league. Finally the matter was left in the hands of the committee.