THE SECOND DIVISION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3090, 22 May 1917, Page 6

THE SECOND DIVISION

LEAGUE DEMANDS

DISCUSSED BY CENTRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

lhe Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce was asked yestorday to affirm a motion expressing approval" of certain of the demands of the Second Division League. Mr. J. F. Atkins introduced tho matter by submitting the following motion:— "That this Chamber views with approval tho formation of a Second Division League throughout the Dominion, and endorses the attitude taken up, that increased pensions and allowances should be provided for dependants, and also that to avoid unnecessary industrial disorganisa.tion the medical examinations of tho several classes should be proceeded with as early as possible and before the ballots are held." Mr. Atkins said that he had been going round the town organising for this Second Division League, and while ho had not yet found one man who was auxious to go to the war, every niau he had met Baid that when it enme to his turn lie would go. All that these men asked was that their dependants should be better provided for in their absence. They were not asking for anything more for themselves, llegarding medical exumination of tho members of the Second Division he put it to the meeting that if what the league asked for were carried out it would be a great saving to the commercial community. This country had committed itself to the last man, and the last shilling. lie hud heard some men eay that the Second Division would never be called up, and apparently there were many people of this opinion. He wns emphatic in his statement that it would not be fair to the men who had gone, or to the administration of the country if this were to be the fact. It must be assumed that the Second Division would go to fight when their turn came. Now the league asked the B.M.A. to do a little extra work as their brothers were doing on the Western front. Hβ knew the argument against his proposal—that men who might now he rejected as unfit might in a lew months be quite fit—but there were other men who because of defects perhaps uneuspected never would bo fit, and these men should know their fate at the earliest possible moment, in order that they might let their employers .know that they were not likely ever to bo taken away to serve in the Army. He wished to confess that he was a militarist, having been born near a depot and having livod near one most of liis life, and he thought the Government should militarise this country on such a footing that we could make our best effort to achieve peace with victory. Mr. Nelson "seconded the motion. Mr. Forsyth said that the chamber suould not rush into the motion. The proposals, if given effect to, would involve the expenditure of much money, and the chamber was not in possession of any information as- to what thie extra expense would mean. The matter was one for the Government to deal with, and the chamber would be wise to keep out of it. "With the second part of'the motion he was in complete accord, because , he had seen something of &e inconvenience caused by men having to go two or three times before they could be medically examined.

The chairman said that the matter seemed to him to bo of such moment that the chamber should not hastily pledge itself by adopting the motion without further consideration. He suggested that the matter*be referred to a special committee. After-some more discussion this course was ndoptwi, and the question was referred to a committee to consist of Messrs. C. M. Luke, A. Leigh Hunt, aud J. P: Atkins*