The Dominion THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1918. THE SECOND DIVISION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 132, 21 February 1918, Page 4

The Dominion THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1918. THE SECOND DIVISION

There appears to be a desire on the part of some people to attempt to bring pressure to bear on tho Government to hurry the Second Division men into camp. The suggestion has been made that the Government fears to call up the married men for service, and other equally foolish ideas have been set in ciroulation. The Minister of Defence has very emphatically repudiated these idle and mischievous stories and has made it perfectly clear that when tho time comes the Second Division men will bo called on to do their duty, and no one doubts their readiness to shoulder their responsibilities in the matter. Instead of seeking to find a grievance in the fact that it has not been necessary to summon the married men to tho training camps as early as was expected, it should bo a matter for general congratulation that it has beon possible to fill the reinforcement drafts required from tho ranks of the single men, and that there is a prospect of this continuing for some little timo. It is not that the Second Division men arc unwilling, or that there is any lack of consideration for tho single men. It is purely a question of what is best in tho national interest. Tho economic factor ia an important one. With tho increasing burden of war costs which the country is being called on to carry, no consideration affecting the financial drain on tho resources of tho Dominion can bo ignored, and there will bo a marked jump in ;our war bill when the married men are called on to servo and tho State has to make provision for thoir dependants. When tho necessity ariscb that cost must bp, faced unwaveringly—the troops who are fighting our battles must be given tho relief and assistance we arc pledged to send them—but at tho moment tho needs of the situation are boing fully and fairly met without recourse to tho married men. The longer that etato of affairs continues the better it will be for the country—tho loss tho dislocation of homo and business life, and tho less the financial loss and cost to the Dominion.

It will be noted that the Second Division League has been again ventilating alleged grievances in connection with the grants of financial assistance supplementary to pay and allowances. At the meeting of League representatives held here on Tuesday evening last a strong attack was made on the Soldiers' liriancial Assistance Board by some of the delegates present. The chairman, Mr. Armstrong, quoted a number of cases in which he' contended the Board had failed to do justice to the claims of the applicants for assistance, and had .acted in. a manner contrary to the policy laid down by the Minister of Defence. Until the full facts of the. cases are made- known it would be unfair to express an opinion as to whether or not the Board has failed in its duty in the manner alleged. As Sir James Allen properly points out, there are two sides to most questions, and until the charges made are fully investigated the allegations must be regarded as only ono sido of the question. The Minister of Defence has promised that if the names of the persons concerned are given to enable- him to follow up the matter he will see that full inquiry is made and that justice is done. It is desirable, however, now that the question has been raised in a, definite form, that the Government should clearly understand that public opinion strongly favours the administration of the regulations relating to financial assistance for _ soldiers whoso obligations necessitate that they ehould recoivo special grants in addition to thoir pay in a liberal spirit. We do not know, because the information is not available, that the Board has not acted in this spirit in dealing with the claims submitted to it. According to a statement published this morning the Board to date has dealt with 7486 applications for assistance, which seems a vory large number to have been disposed of since the Financial Assistance Board was created. It is possible that amongst so large a number.of cases grounds for grievance may exist, and it is inevitable that- differences of opinion will arise as to the merits of the claims made I i/i individual cases. But what we j would urge is that the Government ' should sjrab make it clear beyond J questiuo that its policy is one which j 'saJ' oncuve tt'&t the assistance to ! foHiers aoiJ tbait dependante will !« i,ik-yc&,x<.: Mil that the Board a proper discretion Khali iiifcarp.ftvt the regulations in a liberal spirit. ,